Formalist and relationalist approaches to social capital

Social capital is a notoriously inclusive term. This chapter breaks down the category of social capital using the theoretical perspectives of formalism and relationalism as articulated within network theory. Formalist approaches to social network analysis stress lawlike structural elements in patterns of association that have consistent effects across time and place. Relationalist approaches put more emphasis on the contents of interactions and relationships, their emotional valence, and the contexts in which they occur. The authors consider which theoretical modes have dominated different areas of social capital research, with a particular emphasis on what the implications have been for understanding inequality. They then suggest promising directions for formalist and relationalist approaches to social capital and give special attention to combinations that contribute to understanding the existence and trajectory of population-level differences in the accumulation and deployment of social capital.