Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Introduction: what is social capital and why does it matter? 1
How do networks make things happen? 2
Norms and networks in classical social theory 6
Interest in social capital 8
Aims of the book 11
1 From metaphor to concept 13
Bourdieu 16
Coleman 23
Putnam 32
What have the social capital classics added? 44
Key reading 47
2 Networks in use 48
Social capital and education 49
Connections in the economy 55
Benefits for health and well-being 63
Crime and deviancy 67
Refining the concept- reciprocity and trust 69
Towards a differentiated conception 72
Key reading 78
3 A walk on the dark side 79
Social capital and inequality 82
The perverse effects of social capital 92
Social capital's dark side 99
Key reading 100
4 Future tense or present perfect? Social capital in a changing world 101
Family and intimate ties 104
Active democratic citizenship 109
Atomised connections in cyberspace: ships that pass in a type? 119
The end of communism 125
Social capital in risk society: flexible friends? 128
Key reading 131
5 Policy and politics: social capital in the real world 132
Should we be wary of developing policies for social capital 135
The case for intervention 139
Measuring social capital 142
Operationalising policies for social capital 146
Can governments create social capital? 154
Key reading 156
Conclusion 157
Key reading 167
Resources on the internet 168
References 169
Index 189