social capital

American  

[soh-shuhl kap-i-tl] / ˈsoʊ ʃəl ˈkæp ɪ tl /

noun

Sociology.

1. the interpersonal relationships, institutions, and other social assets of a society or group that can be used to gain advantage.

   the impact of social capital on productivity and economic well-being; the ways in which women accumulate social capital.

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social capital British  

noun

1. the network of social connections that exist between people, and their shared values and norms of behaviour, which enable and encourage mutually advantageous social cooperation

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Etymology

Origin of social capital

First recorded in 1830–35

Compare meaning

How does social-capital compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• social capital vs. cultural capital

Example Sentences

In fact, Aldrich has even found that the difference between “resilience and disrepair” in a community depends on the “depth of communities’ social capital,” meaning the networks and strength of relationships people have in a community more when it comes to overcoming a crisis.

From Salon

Moving away from those networks means giving up a great deal of social capital and starting over somewhere new.

From Salon

But he was too optimistic, as Glenn Loury’s dissertation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed: When a family’s ability to invest in its children depends on inherited wealth and social capital, inequality can reproduce itself rather than fade away.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Chetty’s work highlights the power of neighborhoods, social capital, civic engagement and family stability to shape opportunity.

From The Wall Street Journal

Political scientist Robert Putnam spent decades documenting America’s declining social capital — how people stopped joining clubs, attending church, even bowling in leagues — in his seminal book “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.”

From MarketWatch