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Getting the Goods on Social Capital 1
Author(s) -
Wall Ellen,
Ferrazzi Gabriele,
Schryer Frans
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
rural sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.083
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1549-0831
pISSN - 0036-0112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1549-0831.1998.tb00676.x
Subject(s) - operationalization , sociology , social capital , positive economics , social reproduction , value (mathematics) , individual capital , social science , appeal , perspective (graphical) , epistemology , economics , economic capital , economic growth , human capital , political science , law , philosophy , machine learning , computer science , artificial intelligence
This article presents an overview of the origins, development, rapid diffusion, and current usage of the concept of social capital in both the academic (research‐oriented) and more applied (social policy) literature. Following a short quantitative survey of the appearance of the term in both theses and journals, various meanings of social capital are examined in the light of classical and contemporary sociological theory. Three main research approaches, which are based on the operationalization of social capital or its application as a heuristic device, are critically examined. These approaches are associated with the work ofJames Coleman, Pierre Bourdieu, and Robert Putnam, but there are also some references to the work of economists. The authors contend that, while social capital has value and appeal as a new term, basic theory needs greater development. In particular, attention should be paid to acknowledging the specific perspective on social capital that underlies its usage, the scale or level of analysis employed, and the value of a qualitative use of social capital.