Social capital is a key concept in social psychology, sociology, economics and political science.
Although its definition and its measurement have caused a lot of ink to be spilled (which of course contributes to the interest in the concept…), it could be clearly defined by “the collective value of all the norms and social relations allowing the coordination of actions with a view to achieving common objectives” (James Coleman) or as a “set of attitudes and mental dispositions favoring cooperation in social life” (Patrick Hunout). In this sense, it is very close to the spirit of community and plays a strong role in social cohesion.
The creation of social capital can begin with civility and respect for the rules of politeness (elementary stage of recognition of others), continue with socialization and participation in associations, clubs or charities, and extend into the electoral participation and civic engagement. American researcher Robert Putnam has clearly linked the evolution of civic engagement and that of social capital, showing how the massive decline in electoral participation and community life affects American democracy.
But it has also been shown that social capital plays a big role in economic life. Very present in Northern European and Asian countries, the spirit of community raises the general level of trust, promotes a sense of compromise in public affairs and commercial relations, strengthens the willingness to negotiate, facilitates organizational coordination, and leads to the adoption of concerted decision-making processes. It was able to promote a better reconciliation of the economic and social and helps to explain the long-term success of these economies. It underpins and inspires the social market economy, which has also been called “Rhineland capitalism”.
Finally, the degree of social capital influences the mental health of the population in the sense that a high level of social capital implies the possession of stable benchmarks and common values and thus improves the predictability and stability of the social universe. However, it has been demonstrated since the beginnings of sociology that these factors have a measurable influence on suicide rates and major depressive disorders.
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