HOW TO DEFINE AND MEASURE SOCIAL CAPITAL: THE POWER OF THE NETWORK APPROACH
Journal Title: Revista de Cercetare si Interventie Sociala - Year 2011, Vol 35, Issue 0
Abstract
Social capital is one of the most polysemic concepts used in contemporary social science. The aim of this paper is to identify the different strategies for defining and measuring the concept with reference to the main theoretical approaches in sociology, namely micro-, macro- and meso-sociological theories. The paper will present the main characteristics of the lexical definitions and the operationalisation of concepts of individual social capital, collective social capital and network social capital. When the different study approaches are analysed, it becomes clear that there is common reference to the more general concept of social relation, although it is reduced to an attribute of individuals in individual social capital and an attribute of collectives in collective social capital. Meso theories are the only ones that manage to preserve the intrinsic relationality of the concept of social capital throughout its operationalisation. Finally, the paper claims that it is not feasible to create any form of fusion between different strategies for defining and carrying out empirical studies on the subject of social capital, as the analysis of social context in each strategy is based on different units.
Authors and Affiliations
Luigi TRONCA
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP92343
- DOI -
- Views 159
- Downloads 0
SOCIOLOGICAL PRECEPTS AND OF CHRISTIAN MORALITY IN THE ECONOMIC WORK OF THOMAS MALTHUS
In XVII-XVIII centuries in England, the thinking of those who were concentrating on demographic phenomena was dominated by food resources, the development of capitalism and situation of the poor people. Also, profit and...
Feminization of Migration and Trafficking of Women in Mexico
Young women from rural areas in Mexico are encouraged to migrate to urban areas to help their families and are then exposed to highly vulnerable situations of sexual exploitation. Every year 10,000 women trafficked inter...
Recreational sport culture in Romania and some European countries
The aim of the study is to explore how should be manage recreational sport for to be more attractive and feasible for professional active people. The professional literature and official documents issued in developed Eur...
Town’s faces. An urban sociological reseach in Roman city
The problems of urban sociology are the problems of urban population indeed. Unfortunately the critical messages of the sociologists are not recognize by the local administration because the social dimension of the urban...
Anonimat, confidenţialitate, negare - dileme profesionale în tratamentul dependenţei de alcool
În încercarea de a trata boala alcoolismului mulţi profesionişti şi-au pus întrebarea cum ar putea reuşi să-l determine pe alcoolic să fie onest, să aiba o judecată corectă şi să nu mai repete comportamentul adictiv. Ruş...