Two Concepts of Social Capital: Bourdieu Vs

The paper sets out to compare Robert D. Putnam's concept of social capital with that of Pierre Bourdieu's. Putnam's concept of social capital has three components: moral obligations and norms, social values (especially trust) and social networks (especially voluntary associations). Putnam's central thesis is that if a region has a well-functioning economic system and a high level of political integration, these are the result of the region’s successful accumulation of social capital (see 1993). In the United States many social problems are caused by the decline of social capital; a tendency that has been going on for the last three decades (Putnam 1993). Adam Seligman also writes in the same spirit: "The emphasis in modern societies on consensus (is) based on interconnected networks of trust- among citizens, families, voluntary organizations, religious denominations, civic associations, and the like. Similarly the very "legitimation " of modern societies is founded on the "trust " of authority and governments as generalisations " (1997, 14). The same kinds of voices are heard among proponents of American communitarianism. Putnam’s ideas are-to a large extent – a continuation of a current within the American theory o