Social capital

The sociological concept of social capital refers to Pierre Bourdieu (1983 ) as the total of current and potential resources that can be associated with participation in the network of social relations of mutual knowing and acknowledging. In contrast to human capital, the social capital refers not to individuals as such, but on the relationships between them.

Social capital provides access to the resources of social and community life, such as support, assistance, recognition, knowledge, and connections through to find jobs and training places for individuals. It produces and reproduces itself via exchange relationships, such as mutual gifts, favors, visits and the like.

The differentiation of the social structure of classes is defined with the disposal of the three types of capital, economic capital, cultural capital and social capital and by differences in taste and lifestyle. There is also the symbolic capital, which gives recognition and prestige. Individuals and classes to fight within their habitus and capital resources to the position in the society.

For the first time used Lyda Judson Hanifan used the concept of social capital in 1916 or 1920. It was founded in 1939 by Norbert Elias and later by representatives of the Frankfurt School, in particular by Theodor W. Adorno. Around 1950, the term was taken up by John Seeley. Then, in the 60s until today, many other authors followed. Some well-known are: Jane Jacobs ( 1961), Glenn C. Loury (1977 ), Pierre Bourdieu (1983 ), Robert D. Putnam (1993, 2000), James S. Coleman (1987 ), Thomas Faist (1995) and Nan Lin (2001 ) and Patrick Hunout ( 2003-2004).

Definition

In the North American sociology, the concept was introduced in the early 1990s by James Samuel Coleman and Robert D. Putnam and social capital characterized as a key feature of communities. Social capital is created by the willingness of citizens ( stakeholders) to cooperate with each other. It requires a basis of trust ( social trust ), on which to develop co-operation and mutual assistance. This is due to the norm of reciprocity, ie the expectation for a performance by the other back to get something. Trust arises that this norm of reciprocity is maintained. In a climate of trust can develop the willingness to trust others, but especially strangers, without having to assume an immediate reciprocity. Trust is not simply a product of sanctions and the fear of punishment. An often cited example of the presence or absence of a climate of confidence as a measure of social capital, is the following: Can a mother her child play alone in a park, or they do not dare this, and accompanied it or let it accompany?

Moreover, there are in North American sociological literature an approach that places social networks in the heart of the concept ( see, eg, Nan Lin).

A new debate that also included Putnam refers to the distinction between " bridging" and "bonding " social capital. If the former, the confidence of the primary group transferred to the Company, as "bonding " social capital creates true identity and trust within the group, but not to outsiders.

The ' North American ' importance of social capital differs, however, from some important points of Bourdieu's idea.

Increasingly prevails in the North American literature consensus that social capital is based conceptually on social networks. While Robert Putnam emphasizes the collective value of social networks, Nan Lin's concept of social capital is based more on the individual actor level: He defines social capital as the resources that can be mobilized through social relationships. In order to obtain these resources must be "invested" in social relations.

The term is based here, the social dynamic of knowing and acknowledging how they can be observed as in golf clubs (but also in all other acquaintance networks ): From the know of people an information advantage may arise ( for example, the knowledge of a new job, the more is not officially advertised ), which can then be " umgemünzt " in a leap of faith ( if the applicant relies in relation to the hiring manager on mutual acquaintances as sources of information ). The network-based conception of social capital can be usefully applied at the level of collectives (such as organizations or economic clusters ).

Social effects

For society, social capital reduces social costs to the extent that such assistance and support are provided through the networks of relationships. Conversely rise ( " externalized " on the public being passed ) the cost of support and assistance for the sick, the elderly, the disabled and otherwise impaired persons to the extent as in modern societies in the wake of individualisation and increasing mobility relationship networks such as neighborhoods, friends, club structures etc. are no longer effective.

In a society with low social capital is legal and police force to protect the property and state regulation of major importance, because trust and willingness to cooperate not in solving problems and conflicts are plentiful. So there is a tendency for collective action problems that no consensual solutions can be found, such as for environmental problems. Integration problems by immigrant populations can also be difficult to overcome, as they can not be solved purely regulative. Successful integration would mean immigrant groups (eg through education) to provide access to social capital that needs to be developed enough to carry this first additional power.

The scope of the existing social capital in a society continues to be involved in the growth or decline of an economy: business, commercial transactions and investments are in a lack of confidence climate of uncertain (high " imputed risk costs " ) and made less risk averse and quickly. You need a lot more effort to preliminary probing occurring problems, legal protections, longer contract negotiations, negotiations of warranty claims for non -compliance with contracts, etc. Low social capital thus increases the transaction costs and potentially reduce productivity. Economic impact has social capital in a positive sense to allocation ( location policy ), growth and employment.

Social capital

Definition

Social effects

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