Social capital theory

Social capital theory is the analytical framework that treats social relationships as a form of capital — a resource that individuals and groups can accumulate, invest, and deploy to achieve desired outcomes. The concept was developed independently by Pierre Bourdieu, James Coleman, and Robert Putnam, each emphasizing different mechanisms: Bourdieu focused on class reproduction through exclusive networks; Coleman on the role of closed networks in enforcing norms and facilitating trust; Putnam on the civic benefits of dense associational life.

The theory distinguishes three forms of social capital: bonding