Unselfishness and Resilience: Social Capital in the Context of the Pandemic of COVID-19

Abstract

Although the concept of social capital is rightly associated with Putnam (2000), arguably its roots lie further back in the nineteenth century, but were first articulated in a “contemporary sense” in 1916 (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2001, p. 41). The authors begin their analysis by summarizing the main types of capital: economic, social, political, human, cultural and symbolic, before exploring the different types of social capital, including bonding, bridging and linking. These are then linked to a variety of related concepts, including: social enterprise, social networks, social value, community development, community resilience and sociability (Cook, Halsall, & Wankhade, 2015). It is argued that social capital is central to these, and is of increasing importance across the globe within the context of the threats and opportunities posed by globalization on the one hand (including the spread of COVID-19) and of potential deglobalization on the other, in part as a reaction to COVID-19 and pre-existing nationalist trends toward limitation of global interactions. The discussion is supported by examination of a range of case studies drawn from societies of contrasting types, including the UK, USA, China, Bangladesh and South Africa. The authors conclude their analysis via consideration of how social capital can be expanded further in order to help meet contemporary and future challenges from whichever direction it arises.

Citation

Cook, I.G. and Wankhade, P. (2022), "Unselfishness and Resilience: Social Capital in the Context of the Pandemic of COVID-19", Oberoi, R., Halsall, J.P. and Snowden, M. (Ed.) Contestations in Global Civil Society, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 13-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80043-700-520221004