This document defines social capital and discusses its background and types. Social capital refers to the benefits obtained from the relationships among individuals, such as shared trust, norms and networks. It was first coined in 1916 and has roots in concepts from earlier writers. There are two main types of social capital: bonding versus bridging. Social capital is measured by the levels of trust and civic engagement in a community and is important for outcomes in areas like education, democracy and civil society. The document also discusses theories of social capital and ways to promote it on individual, community and national levels.
3. Definition
Used in business, economics, organizational
behaviour, political science, public health and
sociology
"something of a cure-all“
Physical capital and Human capital
5. Background
Thinkers exploring the relation between associational
life and democracy were using similar concepts
regularly by the 19th century, drawing on the work of
earlier writers such as James Madison (
The Federalist Papers) and Alexis de Tocqueville
(Democracy in America) to integrate concepts of
social cohesion and connectedness into the pluralist
tradition in American political science. John Dewey
may have made the first direct mainstream use of
"social capital" in The School and Society in 1899,
though he did not offer a definition.
6. Social Capital of Blogspace
Network Layer Unit Size Distribution of Links Social Capital Weblog Mode
Political Network 1000s Power Law/Scale-free Sarnoff's Law (N) Publishing
Social Network 150 Random/Bell Curve Metcalfe's Law (N2) Communication
Creative Network 12 Even/Flat Reed's Law (2n) Collaboration
8. Sub-types
bonding social capital and bridging social
capital
Social capital development: Facebook or
Myspace
9. Measurement
The sum of society’s membership
The level of cohesion of a group
“Bowling Alone”
---- Robert Putnam
10. Measurement
Social capital not only measures the relationship of people and
their community, but also the relationship of these citizens with
their animal companions.
14. Social capital and civil society
private organizations
Social capital: the nature and essence of
social relations in the community
Civil society: the institutional of these
relations
15. Social capital and education
"Child development is powerfully shaped by
social capital"
"presence of social capital has been linked to
various positive outcomes, particularly in
education".
---Putnam
16. Social Capital Theory
1, School of social norm:
Putnam, Coleman, Fukuyama
2, School of network embededness:
Granovette, Burt
3, School of social resource:
Loury, Bourdien
17. Evaluating
Social capital is linked to
the success of democracy and political involvement
the recent decline in American political participation
---“Bowling Alone” Robert Putnam
18. Argument---negative
Social capital (in the institutional "
Robert Putnam sense) may also lead to bad
outcomes if the political institution and
democracy in a specific country is not strong
enough and is therefore overpowered by the
social capital groups.
19. Life without social capital
Your corn is ripe today; mine will be so tomorrow. 'Tis
profitable for us both that I shou'd labour with you
today, and that you shou'd aid me tomorrow. I have
no kindness for you, and know that you have as little
for me. I will not, therefore, take any pains on your
account; and should I labour with you on my account,
I know I shou'd be disappointed, and that I shou'd in
vain depend upon your gratitude. Here then I leave
you to labour alone: You treat me in the same
manner. The seasons change; and both of us lose
our harvests for want of mutual confidence and
security.
---David Hume
20. Promotion of social capital
1. On individual level
2. On local community
3. On national level
21. References
Putnam, Robert. (2000), "Bowling Alone: The Collapse and
Revival of American Community" (Simon and Schuster
Portes, A. (1998). Social Capital: its origins and applications in
modern sociology Annual Review of Sociology, 24, 1-24.
Coleman, James. (1988). "Social Capital in the Creation of
Human Capital." American Journal of Sociology Supplement 94:
S95-S120. Wellman, Barry and Scot Wortley. (1990)."Different
Strokes from Different Folks: Community Ties and Social
Support." American Journal of Sociology 96: 558-88. Loury,
Glenn (1977). A Dynamic Theory of Racial Income Differences.
Chapter 8 of Women, Minorities, and Employment
Discrimination, Ed. P.A. Wallace and A. Le Mund. Lexington,
Mass.: Lexington Books.