Social Capital
Introduction to Social Capital Social Capital Literature Conceptualisation of Social Capital Social Captial Conclusions Further Research on Social Capital Social Capital References
Evolution of Social Capital
Contemporary Authors on Social Capital
Definition of Social Capital
Capital Debate
Social Captial Theory
Dimensions of Social Capital
Levels of Social Captial
Types of Social Capital
Determinants of Social Capital
Benefits of Social Capital
Downsides of Social Capital
Conceptualisation of Social Capital
Problems with the current conceputalisation of social capital
Social Capital Conceptualisation Approaches
Operationalisation of Social Capital
Measurement of Social Capital
Building Social Capital
Gender Issues and Social Capital
Social Capital and Natural Resource Management
Summary of Social Capital Literature Review

Determinants of Social Capital

The determinants are numerous and varied and there is both a lack of consensus and a lack of evidence to support the propositions. Several influential studies have suggested that social capital's roots are buried in centuries of cultural evolution (Fukuyama 1995; Putnam et al. 1993).  Other investigators suggest that social capital can be created in the short term to support political and economic development (Brown and Ashman 1996; Fox 1994; Tendler and Freedheim 1994). Aldridge, Halpern et al (2002) suggested that the main determinants of social capital include: history and culture; whether social structures are flat or hierarchical; the family; education; the built environment; residential mobility; economic inequalities and social class; the strength and characteristics of civil society; and patterns of individual consumption and personal values. Pantoja (1999) identified a different set again, including: family and kinship connections; wider social networks of associational life covers the full range of formal and informal horizontal arrangements; networks; political society; institutional and policy framework which includes the formal rules and norms that regulate public life; and social norms and values. The majority of these claims originate in applied theory and stem from much work done on other concepts such as network analysis, civic society, cultural studies, education, psychology, and many others. Even where empirical research has been performed, the findings have questionable validity.