Blackwell Reference Online

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Social capital, according to the most widely accepted definition, refers to “features of social life – networks, norms and trust – that enable participants to act together more effectively to pursue shared objectives” ( Putnam 1996 : 56). Communities characterized by high levels of social capital have been hypothesized to benefit from lower crime rates, higher educational achievement, greater economic growth, and better health. Social capital generally incorporates the much older concepts of civic virtue and social cohesion. Research linking social cohesion and health dates back at least a century to Durkheim who demonstrated that populations with higher social integration have lower rates of suicide. Social theorists whose work serves as the foundation for the present interest in social capital include Pierre Bourdieu, James Coleman, and Robert Putnam. The appearance of social capital as a key word in research articles is relatively infrequent prior to 1980 and has grown enormously since the mid-1990s. The core elements of social capital include measures of civic and social engagement (group memberships, political participation such as voting, community voluntarism, and time spent with friends) and indicators of trust (such as an agreement on a survey with the statement “Most people can be trusted”). The health indicators with which social capital has been shown to be correlated ... log in or subscribe to read full text