Social Capital

The term ‘Social Capital’ was first used by L.J. Hanifan, a State Supervisor for Rural Schools in Virginia in 1916. He used it in the context of the community’s involvement in the successful running of schools. As a concept, it received entry in social science literature in the 1980s. In recent years, the term entered the popular imagination with the publication in 2000 of Robert Putnam’s bestseller, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.

Social capital is the interpersonal relations, social networks, shared sense of identity and trust within a society. In other words, social capital refers to features ....