The concept of social capital in relation to personal communities, the occupational structure and the chances of finding jobs

Abstract or Introduction

Social capital is the human potential or ability to generate social interactions which positively impacts on community development. Social capital encompasses multiple intangible elements including attitudes, networks, norms and values within the community which facilitate coordination and collaboration for mutual benefits. Research on social capital gained considerable popularity in the 1990s as many scholars began applying social capital theory to addressing issues across virtually all disciplines. These studies described social capital as an outcome of human capacity to consider, think and act generously and cooperatively with others. Since social capital is about social relationships and shared understandings, it relates to factors such as cooperation, patience, tolerance, goodwill, self-discipline and so on. This paper critically defines and discusses social capital in relation to personal communities, the occupational structure and the chances of finding job.