Browsing category

Social Capital Literature

The literature on social capital is vast and now includes tens of thousands of articles and books. There is incredible diversity of definitions, conceptual approaches, and areas of application. This category explores this diverse literature.

What is high and low, and positive and negative social capital?

Export Reference Download PDF Print We often talk about social capital in general terms, describing it as high or low, good or bad, positive or negative, or weak or strong. But social capital is complex and multidimensional. Does it make sense to talk about social capital in general terms, and what do we mean by […]

Economics Imperialism and Social Capital Relationship between social capital and economics

Export Reference Download PDF Print During the 1990s, national governments and international agencies such as the World Bank, OECD, and UNDP discovered social capital, heralding it as the ‘missing link’ in explaining development outcomes and an important factor to build and utilise for improved program performance (Harriss, 2002). This was primarily driven by the World […]

Evolution of the concept of social capital

Export Reference Download PDF Print The term ‘social capital’ was virtually unknown until the 1990s, since which time it has rapidly increased in popularity and spread throughout academia and beyond to become a familiar term in community development, business, and politics, and is even entering popular language. The terms ‘social capital’ was used as early […]

The “wicked problems” of social capital theory

Export Reference Download PDF Print Over the last 20 years of researching and applying the concept of social capital I have constantly navigated certain “problems” with the concept. There are several nagging tensions and incongruences associated with the concept that are typically ignored but are impossible to escape and, it seems, to resolve. Critics are […]

Informal Sanctions

Export Reference Download PDF Print “No human societies exist without social norms, that is, without normative standards of behavior that are enforced by informal social sanctions.” (Fehr & Fischbacher, 2004: p63) Informal sanctions are actions in response to someone’s behaviour that may serve to discourage nonconformity or encourage conformity to a norm, rule, or law. […]