Abstract
Few would deny the fact that social capital has been one of the most frequently utilized terminologies in academic journals over the past 20 years. However, not all of the citations are positive. Indeed some of them provide a total denial of social capital. This chapter is an attempt to provide answers to critiques of the concept of social capital. The chapter begins with analyses of the criticisms of social capital, followed by an analysis of the valued-added of the concept of social capital. Criticisms of social capital are centered on five ambiguities: ambiguity of the definition, ambiguity on the added value derived from social capital, ambiguity on measurement, ambiguity on causality, and ambiguity as a policy tool. The author proposes a comprehensive analytical model of community structure based on social capital in this paper.
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Notes
- 1.
The report describes “These social connections are sometimes described as ‘social capital’ to highlight the benefits (direct and indirect) that they bring” (Stiglitz, Sen, & Fitoussi, 2010, p. 80).
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
Chapter 8 also deals with some issues related to the definition of social capital.
- 5.
Dewey and Jacobs just used the term. They did not give any definitions of social capital.
- 6.
Fine (2010) also says, “social capital is the McDonaldisation of social science; do not consume it if you value your intellectual health or you will be consumed by it” (p. 19).
- 7.
To the best of my knowledge, Putnam (2000) refers to “communitarian” just three times in Chap. 23 and once in Chap. 24.
- 8.
- 9.
Although 11 items are shown in numbers and therefore can be treated as being objective. Eight out of the 11 items such as the frequencies of participation in various activities and time spent on these activities are based on the results of social surveys directly obtained from individuals. Although they are asked facts, the way they answer may differ depending upon their perceptions. In that sense, the results are subjective as well.
- 10.
The Grange causality test, invented by Clive Granger, is often utilized to see if there is any causality between two variables in economics. Time series data is required to find out the causality between two variables.
- 11.
For instance, Hero (2007) puts an emphasis on racial diversity which is uniquely American reflecting the history of the United States.
- 12.
Putnam (2000) p. 413.
- 13.
This point was inspired by remarks of Arneil (2006, pp. 185–197) on USA Freedom Corps and faith-based initiatives advocated by George W. Bush’s Administration in 2002.
- 14.
According to Meade (1973), “An external economy (diseconomy) is an event which confers an appreciable benefit (inflicts an appreciable damage) on some person or persons who were not fully consenting parties in reaching the decision or decisions which led directly or indirectly to the event in question.”
- 15.
Lin (2001) p. 19.
- 16.
As for the usage of both “social” and “capital” in a row which could be uncomfortable for many economists, I believe that it is not entirely impossible for them to accept the term social capital. Originally, capital usually changes forms and it can be sustained or owned by a group or a community as a whole.
- 17.
Refer to Kawachi, Subramanian, and Kim (2008) on the development of social epidemiology.
- 18.
Chapter 4, p. 88.
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Inaba, Y. (2013). What’s Wrong with Social Capital? Critiques from Social Science. In: Kawachi, I., Takao, S., Subramanian, S. (eds) Global Perspectives on Social Capital and Health. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7464-7_13
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