Chapter 9: Social Capital in Education: Taking Stock of Concept and Measure

Authors review conceptual and operational definitions of social capital as found in the literature. They argue the importance of seeking definitional convergence across the social sciences and propose a definition consistent with much of the literature: Social capital is the social structure and cognitive dispositions that act as a resource for collective action. Based on this definition, a set of “theory-near” criteria are derived for adequate measurement of the cognitive and structural dimensions at the meso-level. Meso-level measurement, it is argued, is the appropriate level for school research. Three recently published social capital writings are examined against the criteria. Authors also present a demonstration study in which they attempt to generate operational measures that meet the criteria. Last, they reflect on the viability of theory-near operational measures of social capital and the specifics of what has been learned.