capital
Question #1 Social capital refers to the institutions, relationships, and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a societys social interactions. ... Social capital is not just the sum of the institutions, which underpin a society - it is the glue that holds them together. ... Networks of civic engagement, such as neighborhood associations, sports clubs, and cooperatives, are an essential form of high social capital, and the denser these networks, the more likely that members of a community will cooperate for mutual benefit. ... There is considerable evidence that communities with high social capital are more likely to benefit from lower crime figures, better health, higher educational achievement, and better economic growth. Putnam cites 3 positive outcomes of social capital, which benefits individuals and communities: A. Social capital allows citizens to resolve collective problems more easily. ... Social capital greases the wheels that allow communities to advance smoothly. ... Groups and organizations with high social capital have the means (and sometimes the motive) to work to exclude and subordinate others. ... "It was social capital, for example, that enabled Timothy McVeigh to bomb the Alfred P. ... Similarly, urban gangs, NIMBY ("not in my backyard") movements, and power elites often exploit social capital to achieve ends that are antisocial from a wider perspective. ... Sprawl has been especially toxic for bridging social capital. ... As a result, social capital has continuously been under attack. ... Responses to economic, social, and technological changes have eroded away at social capital through electronic entertainment like television, (TV has profoundly privatized our leisure time) social trends like two-career families. According to Putnam, the generational changes in values, (less involvement w/ secular and religious activities) apparently account for half of the overall decline in social capital.