小巨人

小巨人

結果 (英文) 1:

Little giant

結果 (英文) 2:

Social Capital in the Creation
of Human Capital'
James S. Coleman
University of Chicago
In this paper, the concept of social capital is introduced and illustrated, its forms are described, the social structural conditions
under which it arises are examined, and it is used in an analysis ol
dropouts from high school. Use of the concept of social capital is
part of a general theoretical strategy discussed in the paper: taking
rational action as a starting point but rejecting the extreme individualistic premises that often accompany it. The conception of social
capital as a resource for action is one way of introducing social
structure into the rational action paradigm. Three forms of social capital are examined: obligations and expectations, information
channels, and social norms. The role of closure in the social structure in facilitating the first and third of these forms of social capital
is described. An analysis of the effect of the lack of social capital
available to high school sophomores on dropping out of school before graduation is carried out. The effect of social capital within the
family and in the community outside the family is examined.
There are two broad intellectual streams in the description and explanation of social action. One, characteristic of the work of most sociologists,
sees the actor as socialized and action as governed by social norms, rules,
and obligations. The principal virtues of this intellectual stream lie in its
ability to describe action in social context and to explain the way action is
shaped, constrained, and redirected by the social context.
The other intellectual stream, characteristic of the work of most economists, sees the actor as having goals independently arrived at, as acting
independently, and as wholly self-interested. Its principal virtue lies in
having a principle of action, that of maximizing utility. This principle of
action, together with a single empirical generalization (declining marginal
utility) has generated the extensive growth of neoclassical economic the1 I thank Mark Granovetter, Susan Shapiro, and Christopher Winship for criticisms of
an earlier draft, which aided greatly in revision. Requests for reprints should be sent to
James S. Coleman, Department of Sociology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
60637.
? 1988 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.
0002-9602/89/9407-0010$1.50
AJS Volume 94 Supplement S95-S120 S95
American Journal of Sociology
ory, as well as the growth of political philosophy of several varieties:
utilitarianism, contractarianism, and natural rights.2
In earlier works (Coleman 1986a, 1986b), I have argued for and engaged in the development of a theoretical orientation in sociology that
includes components from both these intellectual streams. It accepts the
principle of rational or purposive action and attempts to show how that
principle, in conjunction with particular social contexts, can account not
only for the actions of individuals in pa