ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the elements of social capital to provide clues for building this particular form of capital so that it contributes to civic engagement and community betterment. It introduces the concept of entrepreneurial social infrastructure as a means of using social capital for community betterment. The chapter explains the interaction of social capital with other kinds of capital. Stephan Goetz and colleagues at the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development have used secondary data to measure county-level social capital levels, creating a social capital index. Social capital can be divided into two parts. Bonding social capital consists of connections among individuals and groups with similar backgrounds. Bridging social capital connects diverse groups within the community to each other and to groups outside the community. Entrepreneurial communities foster extra-community links and actively seek resources from other communities and from state and federal sources. In entrepreneurial communities members rotate through public offices and share informal leadership roles.
