Social Capital - A Theory of Social Structure & Action (01) by Lin, Nan [Paperback (2002)]

Structural Analysis in the Social Sciences

by Lin

Excellent Book

Genres: Sociology, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published April 25, 1997

Reviews

[Bilal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to gain a concrete understanding of the concepts of social capital and of the methods to measure it, if that were possible. After a brief search on amazon.ca for a suitable book to start with, I came across this one by Nan Lin which seemed like an excellent choice.

The author starts with Karl Marx’s theory of capital, and its implications about society as one divided between a capitalist and a laborer class where the labor class has little means of mobility out of its condition. Then he introduces the notion of human capital which recognizes an individual’s ability to acquire capital and use it for upward movement in society, a notion that is absent from the Marxian model. He talks briefly about cultural capital also, and then shifts his focus to Social Capital, the subject of the book, which he defiles simply as the investment in social relations with expected returns in the marketplace. He explores in detail how social capital is established, preserved, and enhanced. He discusses the actions initiated by individuals to preserve and enhance their social capital, the types of these actions, and their goals. He explores the effects of positions and of locations within a social network on the opportunities available to individuals in that network for mobility and gain, as well as the constraints on the same individuals. He also explores the impact of the strength of ties on the potential for gain in social capital. In Part II he propounds the rational basis of social exchange, and studies the implications on social structure, reputation, and hierarchies.

Aside for the last two chapters which I may come back to a little bit later, I have read most of this book now. It is an authoritative text. It is not an easy book to read though. The style is that of a research monograph as the subject matter at the time of its writing (2001) appears to have been an area of active research with a multitude of theories and conjectures contending to establish themselves. The author references these theories and conjectures, as one would in a research journal article. He presents supporting and opposing arguments. There is empirical data presented in support or refutation of much of the material in Part I (Theory & Research), while much of the work in Part II (Conceptual Extensions) is mostly only reasoned hypothesis.

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very comprehensive exploration of social capital, which is exactly what I need to form the theoretical framework pieces of my dissertation. Will be helpful through all stages of my research process.

[JOSÉ MARÍA RODRÍGUEZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book to get an understanding of the concept and uses of social capital.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is helpful to read if you're looking to understand the key theoretical and practical aspects of social capital.