ABSTRACT
It needs to be said at the outset that the optimistic view is far from being irrational or unfounded. Social capital does indeed generate benefits for network members, in that it refers to factors which help individuals
and groups to cooperate in order to achieve a common goal. The previous chapter explored some areas in which there is strong evidence for just such a positive association. This in turn has led many writers to assume, explicitly or implicitly, that social capital is in and of itself a generally good thing. By focusing on its role in lubricating the wheels of cooperation, they have concentrated largely on its benign consequences, particularly for the individuals or groups concerned directly, but also for the wider society as a whole. And this is not entirely unreasonable. Even if some of the good news stories turn out to be less than wholly convincing on close investigation, there are still plenty of public goods behind the headlines. Education, health, crime reduction, safety, prosperity and individual well-being can all be shown to possess a benign association of some kind with social capital. But if social capital gives rise to desirable outcomes, it can also produce social bads.
