ABSTRACT
Social capital in broad terms, which you know and are connected to become particularly prominent in a number of policy fields, including public health, in the mid 1990s. Social capital is a concept that focuses on social relations. Although social capital continues to be viewed as a somewhat ambiguous and contested concept it has undergone significant theoretical development. The role of social capital in explaining social inequalities in health, particularly in relation to income inequalities, has attracted considerable discussion and debate in recent years. Bourdieu's work is also of interest because it provides a way of integrating material, social and cultural capital into explanations relating to health and inequality. However, policymakers' attempts to create social capital are likely to be unsuccessful 'as social capital is based on activities, relationships and norms freely engaged in by individuals'; in other words, it is an aspect of everyday social life.
