ABSTRACT
Throughout this volume, social capital has been addressed in different contexts, thereby highlighting the multiplicity of how the concept is operationalised and activated. The empirical findings have re-emphasised the multidimensional nature and functions of social capital at the level of family, community, voluntary organisations, schools and society as a whole. The research started with the premise that social capital – especially the bonding type – developed by first-generation Moroccans could explain, firstly, why a significant section of this generation remains still very isolated and disengaged from the mainstream society; and secondly, why some of these characteristics persist amongst the younger generation too. The empirical evidence of my research, however, revealed a much more complex picture.
