Social capital

The term "social capital" can be traced back to the work of Lyda Hanifan (19 16, 1920) on rural school community centres, which discusses notions such as good will, fellowship, sympathy and social intercourse. However, the concept of social capital became popularized later through the work of political scientist Robert Putnam (1993, p. 167) who defines it as “norms of reciprocity and networks of civic engagement". l'hese networks of engagement and reciprocity are based on trust and shared values, which facilitate cooperation for mutual benefit. Social networks create "collective value" and encourage people to help each other through norms of reciprocity