ABSTRACT
The theory of social capital makes some remarkably general claims about the role of societal trust and networks in improving the quality of political, social and economic life. The existence and maintenance of social capital in certain communities or regions is believed to lower the amount of drug use, criminal activity, teenage pregnancy and delinquency, to increase the success of schools and their pupils, to enhance economic development, and to make government more effective (Putnam, 1993; Fukuyama, 1995; Hagan et al., 1995; Jencks and Peterson, 1991; Case and Katz, 1991; Granovetter, 1985). In short, social capital links citizens to each other and enables them to pursue their common objectives more effectively.
