The Importance Of Social Capital

1547 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Relationship between social and economic development

In recent decades, social capital has attracted much attention of scholars and it has become an innovative approach to understand political democracy and economic growth. There is a agreement among researchers that social capital which includes general trust and strong social network could be a foundation of democratic and economic development (Putnam 1995; Paxton 2002; Woolcock 1998). As a result, it seems to be necessary to build social capital in underdeveloped countries for prompting political democratization and enhancing economic efficiency. However, Bourdieu (1985) argues that social capital could reproduce the class structure. Fukuyama (2001) also points out that different countries have distinct cultural roots of social capital. It …show more content…

Rich social capital could cultivate civic virtue and strong social network among individuals, and then make democracy work effectively. Moreover, social capital including trust and common norms would improve effectiveness and efficiency of market economy. In general, It is urgent to build social capital in developing countries for democratization and economic growth. However, apart from these positive effects, social capital as well could produce negative externalities in practice. It seems that just some aspects of social capital could play an effective role in democracy and …show more content…

In the view of Paxton (2002), different social organizations might have different impacts on the development of democracy and some organizations are not helpful for democracy, so that he defines these groups as isolated associations which have a high level trust and connection inside the organizations but have a low level of cooperation with people outside the organization. Newton (2001) also suggests that small tightknit groups might have relatively stronger power for action than big horizontal organizations with loosely organized, even though the latter could be more favorable to modern democracy. As an extreme example, social capital as well might be an organizational foundation of gangsters but these groups make no sense to

Show More
Related

  • Interest Groups Essay

    549 Words  | 2 Pages

    Political Interest Groups take to activities such as political action, provision of materials, exchange of information, and Cooperation. Any form of political action is the most direct method, they can force from voting and campaign to influence of the selection and action of political authorities. Provisioning of material resources provide greats to political actors, this way is illegal depending on the greats and services offered to the political personnel for a desired outcome. Information exchange is also used by private groups for those in the political system helping obtain special information they probably couldn’t receive on their own. Cooperation plays a major role with interest groups and the political system. Policies are more acceptable to the affected group if they ap...

    Read More

  • Bowling Alone America's Declining Social Capital Summary

    289 Words  | 1 Pages

    “Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital” by Robert D. Putnam was straightforward and honest. I feel like I can relate to the declining amount of people involved in politics because I will probably never vote. Also, if it wasn't a requirement for this class, I’d probably never go to a city counsel meeting. Why is it that we don't care anymore about politics or joining groups and why are we only in on it for ourselves? I think it is sad that not as many people are volunteering for good causes and would rather just give money than actually do something.

    Read More

  • Integrity and Supererogation in Ethical Communities

    3535 Words  | 8 Pages

    Putnam, Robert D. 1993b. The Prosperous Community: Social Capital and Public Life. American Prospect 13: 35-42.

    Read More

  • Political Thinking: The Perennial Analysis

    2586 Words  | 6 Pages

    In Chapter 4 of Political Thinking; the Perennial Questions, Tinder raises the question of whether social order can be maintained without power. The argument of whether humans are estranged or naturally good plays a large part in deciding this question. Tinder hits on two major topics before coming to his ultimate decision. The first is that human nature can be linked to reason as both a cognitive and a moral tool that can be used to live without a specific source of power. In other words, people with a strong sense of morality can suffice without the need of an organized government. It is then argued that the concept of natural occurring interests between a society successfully taps into the fear that social order is spontaneous, disregarding whether people are generally good or bad. The example of free enterprise is given, regarding humans as selfish and materialistic. With this an idea for government to protect property and create stability in currency arose while trying not to encroach on personal freedoms.

    Read More

  • Pierre Bourdieu's Conceptual Analysis

    575 Words  | 2 Pages

    Echoing Karl Marx, Bourdieu (1986) posits that economic-capital has formed the foundation of social life and dictates people’s position within the social order (p.46-47). has the more powerful

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Social Identity

    872 Words  | 2 Pages

    People go through many obstacles when they face their social identity. Some can overcome their differences, but others may not have they change to even face them due to the treatment that they get from society. Social identity is the one of many controversial and complex problems that many individuals deal with. Because, sometimes it used to be misunderstood making reference to racism and/or others complex matters. “On Being a Cripple” and “How It Feels to Be Colored” are two essays in which both characters suffer from some kind of discrimination. Indeed, in “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston and “On Being a Cripple” by Nancy Mairs, each author shows different attitude, endures challenges, and change toward social identity.

    Read More

  • Child Rearing Theory

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Unequal Childhood - Class, Race, and Family Life, Annette Lareau tributes the French social scientist Pierre Bourdieu when using his theory of the forms of capital as a fundamental argument on her study. In this theory, Bourdieu recognizes three different types of capital; social, symbolical and cultural. Bourdieu describes social capital as “the aggregate of the actual or potential resources which are linked to possession of a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition.” This means that social capital is based on resources built from personal relationships, club memberships and other social influence and connections. The second form of capital,

    Read More

  • Pluralism

    1378 Words  | 3 Pages

    The pluralistic scholar David Truman notes that “the proliferation of political interest groups [is] a natural and largely benign consequence of economic development” (Kernell 2000, 429). That is, as American economic development increases, in the form of industry, trade, and technology, factions are produced in order to protect special interests. Factions have a large platform on which to find support from various political parties, committees, subcommittees, and the courts, as well as federal, state, and local governments (Kernell 2000, 429).

    Read More

  • Marx 's Theory Of Class Conflict

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...top positions in the governmental and business hierarchy from communal principles and beliefs. Majority come from the upper third of the salary and professional pyramids, their upbringings were from the same upper class, some attended the same preparatory school and Ivy League universities. Also, they belong to the same organizations. The power elite have the power to control programs and actions of important governmental, financial, legal, educational, national, scientific, and public institutions. The ones in power influence half of the nation’s manufacturing, infrastructures, transportation, banking possessions, and two thirds of all insurance possessions. The occupants take essential actions that could affect everyone’s’ life in American society. Rulings made in meetings of significant corporations and banks can influence the rates of inflation and unemployment.

    Read More

  • The Decline Of Social Capital

    1293 Words  | 3 Pages

    This focuses on the policy’s impact with particular attention to its intended and unintended consequences, political accountability, and whether policy knowledge is created. How this is put into play by society is that it helps policy by gathering input and serving the clients desires and goals. Another way this can also be looked at is by politicians dual where there is conflicting goals. How this benefits social capital and its uprising is the coming together of communities to share ideas and thoughts about their goals and desires. Given social capital can benefit individuals, it is perhaps no surprise that it also can help neighborhoods (322). So when more political debates are happening in society then neighbors and communities come together which then raises social capital.

    Read More

  • What´s Cultural Capital?

    691 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ely and directly convertible into money and may be institutionalized in the form of property rights. When I stated I went to high school the students and I also had a similarity which was being “well endowed” as cultural capital, Cultural Capital is fluid and can be supported by economic capital to expand one cultural community for example the more money I have the more likely my community that I involve myself with will be just as financially endowed and may be institutionalized in the form of educational qualifications; and as social capital going into a company or organization I stated that I got in contact with one of the alumni at my local high school who so happens to working for the company or as an executive officer in that organization I get hired and the cycle starts again making me the central figure for economic capital, given me a title and prestige.

    Read More

  • Examples of People with Expert Power-Is it Enough?

    1919 Words  | 4 Pages

    French, J. R. P., Jr., & Raven, B. H. (1959). The bases of social power. In D. Cartwright (Ed.), Studies in social power (pp. 150–167). Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research.

    Read More

  • Mass Society Theory: Critification Of Culture And The Comodification Of Society

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    The hypothesis does not make a difference to all advanced social orders, yet rather to the most divided and decentralized political economies. These social orders are most powerless against getting to be distinctly mass social orders since they contain vacuums made by declining investment in religious associations, unions, political gatherings, and willful affiliations. Without such mutual affiliations, the broad communications, which gives both correspondence and amusement, ventures into fill the void (Kreisler,

    Read More

  • The Social Bond Theory

    869 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1969, Travis Hirschi developed what is known as Social Bond Theory. Hirschi built on the work of other social control theorists and was able to provide a better picture of what social bond is. In Social Bond Theory there are four basic elements that make up social bonds. They are attachment, involvement, commitment, and belief. It is these four bonds that all humans hold and ultimately determine conformity or deviant behavior(Agnew, 1985).

    Read More

  • The Components of a Society

    951 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government”. Here Milton Friedman, American economist and a famous writer share his views about the society or government who is responsible for the protection of the people. Most of the people in this world are familiar with the word society. The term society describes a group of people as the members of certain communities for several events. We live in a society and without society we cannot develop our own individual behavior. In other words an ideal society can also be known as a perfect society which can provide basic needs to the people living within their respected communities. Different types of societies prevail in this world today. Some are religious, cultural, charitable, professional as well as economic. But there are advantages and disadvantages to these societies. For instance, being in a society will increase teamwork, cooperation, open to anyone, regardless of race, sex, religion and it is easy to form. On the other hand, it will limit your ability of working individually, problems arise when some families in the community fail to contribute money and the lack of secrecy since almost every matter is discussed openly in meetings. Authors such as Milton Friedman and Jane Jacobs describes about societies in detail and how it should be through their famous books, free to choose and the death and life of great American cities.

    Read More

More about The Importance Of Social Capital

Open Document