BharatNotes Social Capital
noun phraseUsage in a UPSC answer
Kerala's high human development indicators — superior health outcomes, literacy rates, and democratic participation — are partly attributed to historically deep social capital rooted in community organisations, cooperative networks, and active civil society.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
social capital (n phrase), capital (n/adj), social (adj), capitalise (v)
Root
Latin socius = companion/ally + Latin capitalis = relating to the head/chief (caput = head); capital in economic sense = accumulated asset
Etymology
The concept was theorised by Pierre Bourdieu (The Forms of Capital, 1986) and popularised by Robert Putnam (Making Democracy Work, 1993) and (Bowling Alone, 2000); in Indian development discourse, self-help groups (SHGs), panchayati raj institutions, and cooperative movements are seen as generators of social capital
Memory Hook
SOCIAL CAPITAL: the WEALTH (capital) you gain from SOCIAL connections — your network is your net worth in the social sense
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
The value embedded in social networks, trust and norms of reciprocity that allows people to act together effectively. Robert D. Putnam brought the concept to wide attention in 'Bowling Alone' (2000), documenting a decline in American civic participation since 1950 and using league bowling as the illustration: bowling continued while bowling together did not. In GS1 and GS2 it is a useful frame for collective action, self-help groups and community-based disaster management.
Don’t Confuse It With
Social capital is the productive value of networks and trust. Human capital is skills and knowledge held by individuals. Cultural capital is the tastes and credentials that confer status. Note also the distinction between bonding social capital, which strengthens ties inside a group, and bridging social capital, which links across groups; a society can be rich in the first and poor in the second.
Hindi Meaning
सामाजिक पूंजी (sāmājik pūnjī).
Common Questions
- What is social capital?
- The value created by social networks, mutual trust and norms of reciprocity that enable people to cooperate effectively.
- Who popularised the idea of social capital?
- Robert D. Putnam, notably in Bowling Alone (2000), which documented declining civic participation in the United States since 1950.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Prelims 2019 — Society & Social Issues
- Mains 2023 · GS4 · 10 marks — Ethics in Public Administration
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Social Capital” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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