social capital

Meaning: Social capital is the value people get from belonging to networks of family, friends, groups, and institutions built on trust and reciprocity. Contacts supply job leads, recommendations, information, and support. Bourdieu treated it as one form of capital alongside economic capital (wealth and income) and cultural capital (knowledge, tastes, credentials). Putnam applied the idea to communities, where civic participation and trust raise shared benefits. Bonding social capital comes from ties within similar groups and gives support. Bridging social capital comes from ties across different groups and gives access to new information and opportunities. Weak ties, such as acquaintances, often give more new job information than close friends do.

On the MCAT: A passage describes a neighborhood, school, or job search and asks why one group gets better outcomes. For example, a student whose parents know professionals lands an internship. Expect questions linking social capital to social stratification, because advantage passes through networks and helps keep inequality in place. Predict the direction: more and more varied ties mean more access to resources, while isolation, migration, or loss of community lowers it.

Common confusion: Social capital is not cultural capital. Social capital is who you know. Cultural capital is what you know and how you present yourself, such as education, language, and taste. It is also not the same as wealth or social class, though they are related.