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Social Capital Reading List

This section reports some readings on social capital and its relationship with economic development, selected by Fabio Sabatini.
References are partitioned into eleven categories, approaching different aspects of social capital research. Each category includes two groups of references:
• few essential readings
• further readings
Downloadable papers are linked. Please report to the webmaster new interesting papers and broken links

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More detailed description of single sections

• What is social capital: basic concepts
Essential readings of this section include the studies that have introduced the multidimensional concept of social capital in the social sciences debate, influencing great part of the following literature on this topic. Further readings include some alternative views and few useful surveys of the literature

• Against social capital
This section collects works of authors skeptical about the usefulness of the concept of social capital for social sciences. Great part of these studies belongs to the field of economics and addresses problems like the difficulties of measurement, the shortcomings of the empirical research, the role of social capital in the World Bank's research activity, and the opportunity itself to consider social capital as another form of capital, together with human and phisical capital.

• Measuring Social Capital
Section devoted to the measurement of social capital. It includes theoretical works on measurement methods, empirical studies measuring social capital at a local level, and few useful surveys of the literature

• Civil society, social capital and well-being
This section is devoted to the role of civil society in social capital generation mechanisms. Collected studies present different points of view on the role of voluntary associations. Following Putnam's earlier work, many authors view the main source of social capital as residing in the realm of civil society, largely disconnected from the state and political institutions. Alternative views enphasizing the role of the state and of the welfare state are presented in the next section.

• The role of the state in social capital's production
A section bringing together studies on the role of political institutions and on of the welfare state in social capital's production and accumulation mechanisms.

• The challenges of multiculturalism
his section collects studies addressing the role of ethnic fragmentation and migratory flows in social capital's generation and accumulation mechanisms. Empirical studies on the relationship between economic development and some aspects of the social structure are included when ethno-linguistic fragmentation is considered among the latters.

• Social capital, social interactions, rationality and happiness 
Starting from the assumption that well-being depends not only on private goods' consumption, but also on the satisfaction of relational needs, this section focuses on the role of social interactions and social capital in improving people's quality of life and in affecting the agents' behaviour. Suggested readings address topics like the building of new paradigms of rationality (taking into the appropriate account the agents' social needs), the relational dimension of economic action, and the theoretical analysis of the environmental and social determinants of subjective well-being.

• Social capital and health
This sub-section deals with the relationship between social capital and health. Particular attention is given to the role of social capital in improving the efficiency and accessibility of public health systems.

• Social capital and education
This section deals with the complex relationship between social capital and education. Collected works address topics like:
• The social determinants of schooling and of human capital's accumulation
• The influence of social capital on school attainment
• The role of education in the creation of social capital
• The challenges of multiculturalism to education systems

• Social capital, public services and the welfare state
This sub-section is devoted to the relationship between social capital and the welfare state in public services delivery and inequalities reduction.

• Empirical studies on the social determinants of well-being
This section collects empirical investigations on the social determinants of well-being. Suggested readings focus on topics like the role of interpersonal relations, social protection systems, well-functioning public institutions and public services.

• Social capital at the firm level
Social capital, productivity, knowledge and innovation
A section on the role of social capital in productivity, knowledge and innovation at the firm level.

• Social capital and the labour market
This section deals with the role of bridging social capital - i.e. social networks and, more in general, social ties - in the labour market's matching processes. Suggested readings mainly analyse the ability of social ties to influence labour force participation and job search processes. Particular consideration is given to problems related to the workers' mobility in terms of status and wage, and to migrants' integration in new labour markets.

• Social capital and human capital
Social capital is often considered one of the main factors for the accumulation of human capital. This section deals with the relationship between social capital and human capital, with a particular focus on the role of social capital in education

• Social capital, knowledge and innovation
This section deals with the relationship between social networks, knowledge diffusion and technological innovation. Suggested reading address both the micro and the macro level of analysis. At the micro level, they study the mechanisms of knowledge and innovation diffusion among workers and among firms. At the macro level they analyse the impact of social capital on competitiveness through the improvement of knowledge and technology diffusion.

• Social capital, growth and development
The relationship between social capital, economic performance, economic growth and development. On this topic see also sections on Social capital and human capital, Social capital and poverty and Social capital, knowledge and innovation

• Social capital and local development
This section collects studies dealing with the role of social norms, social relations, and social networks in regional economic development, both in industrialized and in developing countries, with a particular regard for post-communist transition economies. Strong emphasis is placed on the role of networks between small and medium-sized firms, which may lead to the creation of industrial districts and learning regions.

• Social capital and poverty in developing countries
A section devoted to the role of social interactions and social capital in the fight against poverty and inequalities in developing countries. Particular consideration is given to the ability of social interactions to mitigate the effects of income inequalities, to improve the capabilities and the quality of life of the poors, to foster productivity and innovation in rural areas, and to support the development of microcredit programmes. Readings are partitioned into five sub-sections: Social interactions, health and the quality of life, Social capital, poverty and development in rural areas, Microcredit and social capital, Development assistance, civil society and social capital, Other aspects of the relationship between social capital and poverty in LDCs.

• Empirical studies on social capital and growth
Empirical studies on the relationship between social capital, economic performance and human, social and economic development. It includes both cross-country investigations and studies at a local level

• Social capital, community governance and political participation
This section is devoted to the relationship between social capital and civicness. According to the political science literature, social capital fosters a more active participation to community governance and stimulates political participation

• Social capital and institutional performance
This section is devoted to the role of social capital in political and institutional development. Particular attention is given to studies dealing with the relationship between the presence of a vibrant civil society and democratic institutions' performance.

• Trust and institutions in post-communist countries
This section collects readings on social cohesion, the diffusion of social norms of trust and reciprocity, and social networks in post-communist countries in transition to a market economy. Particular attention is given to eastern countries entering in the European Union. Considered studies are strictly related to those collected the Social capital and economic transition section.

• Social capital and economic transition in post-communist countries
This section collects readings on the role of social capital in the economic transition in post-communist countries. Considered studies are closely related to those presented in the section devoted to Trust and institutions in post-communist countries.

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Geography of social capital studies

Following sections catalogue social capital studies according to the particular country on which their main focus is devoted.

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