What is Really Social Capital? A Critical Review

This paper provides a critical review of the burgeoning literature on social capital. While our focus is primarily on social
capital’s place in economics, we do consider its broader social science context. In recent years, social capital literature
has produced many insights, however, a number of conceptual and empirical problems remain. In this setting, we trace a panorama
of ideas of the principal theorists of social capital for then focusing us on the numerous critics whose it is the subject.
Finally we provide recommendations for a prudent use of the concept.