Define “Social Capital”

Social capital refers to networks of relationships among group of people living and working in a particular society such that these networks of relationships enable their society to function effectively. Portes and Sensenbrenner (1993) defines Social Capital as a variety of entities consisting of some aspects of social structure, and that these entities facilitate actions within that social structure. In the term, “Social” refers to “material” and “human” capital resources available to individuals in that social structure in order to attain their goals.