social capital

[ soh-shuhl kap-i-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.

social capital

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of social capital¹

First recorded in 1830–35

Example Sentences

The purpose of this new study was to use a large national survey to assess and analyze the extent to which U.S. adults endorse two essential components of the myth: the assumed personal development and social capital benefits of playing sports.

From Science Daily

Being "working class" in this era also means an experience of diminishing social capital and access to higher jobs and upper mobility.

From Salon

DeSantis and Vance and that ilk want to maintain these elite institutions and the social capital they confer.

From Salon

We've seen a decline in the type of social capital essential for a healthy democracy.

From Salon

The racial hierarchy meant that the closer you were to whiteness, the more social capital you had.

From Salon