Social Capital

noun phrase

/ˈsəʊ.ʃəl ˈkæp.ɪ.təl/

The networks, norms of reciprocity, and trust embedded in social relationships that enable coordinated action and collective benefit; a resource that communities accumulate through associational life, civic engagement, and mutual trust, recognised by Pierre Bourdieu and Robert Putnam as a key driver of social and economic development

✍️ Usage 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

community trustcivic networksassociational bondsrelational resources

Antonyms

social atomisationdistrustisolationweak civic institutions

🌱 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

📝 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.

👥 Society 📖 Seen in: Salient Features of Indian Society — D... 📋 Also in Key Terms

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