Social Capital

Social capital, as a counterpoint theory to human capital, analyzes the production, investment and returns of the elements or resources embedded in social structures and networks rather than in individuals. Social Capital: Theory and Research features the investigations of some of the leading scholars on social capital from the social network perspective and provides a forum for their ongoing research programs. The contributors to this volume advance theoretical formulations and methodological techniques; analyze the significance of social capital in the labor market; and clarify the utility of the concept in different organizational, community, and institutional settings. Drawing on their research in the US, Canada, the Netherlands, Hungary, mainland China, and Taiwan, these scholars collectively demonstrate how their work can be fruitfully integrated in studying social capital, and provide exemplary and innovative approaches to advance our understanding of how capitalization of social elements yields instrumental and expressive returns.