In the context of any country, which one of the following would be considered as part of its social capital?
Social capital is a sociological concept that refers to the intangible relational assets that emerge from social interactions. These assets are generated through give and take and activate the norm of reciprocity, creating social obligations that connect and bind people and groups. The more social capital is used, the greater the benefits.
The concept of social capital is composed of three distinct but interrelated structural, emotional and behavioral components. They are, respectively:
- Networks
- Trust
- Collaborative cultural norms
In every society, some people have a greater share of valued resources – money, property, education, health, and power – than others. These social resources can be divided into three forms of capital:
- Economic capital in the form of material assets and income;
- Cultural capital such as educational qualifications and status;
- Social capital in the form of networks of contacts and social associations (Bourdieu 1986).
Often, these three forms of capital overlap and one can be converted into the other. For example, a person from a well-off family (economic capital) can afford expensive higher education, and so can acquire cultural or educational capital. Someone with influential relatives and friends (social capital) may – through access to good advice, recommendations or information – manage to get a well-paid job.
Source: NCERT: Class XII Sociology Chapter – Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion