Models of social capital

One way to envision social capital is in terms of social networks. Each individual has connections of various aspects with other individuals. These links could be forged in any context, whether in a bowling league or a PTA, but they provide a familiarity and trust that leads to an increase in mutual reciprocity between the two parties. Each individual is in a web of these social links. Putnam and others argue that this web is an important prerequisite for constructive civic behavior. We are far more likely to participate in a community if we are tied to it by relationships. These links can be evaluated for strengths, and even quantitatively analyzed to determine how much social capital a community possesses, although these measures are of course very crude.

Allan Friedman
January, 2002