Chapter 6: Measures of Social Capital

We first explore the historical development of social capital and how the conceptualization and the proposed definitions of social capital have evolved over time and continue to develop. Although many scholars and academics have explored the term social capital, there are four definitions, as proposed by Bourdieu (1986), Coleman (1988), Putnam (1993, 2000), and the World Bank that have been dominant in the academic debate. The social capital definitions included in the papers of several economists are also explored. The varying definitions and descriptions of social capital point to the fact that there is no one distinct definition, but rather, social capital can be attributed to conceptual and empirical ideas based on social interactions, relations, structures, and values. The empirical measurements of social capital throughout the book are then evaluated in terms of their usefulness in explaining the relationship between social capital and health, based on three criteria…