Beyond Community Capacity Building: the Effect of Government on Social Capital

The distinctive contribution of this paper is its strong emphasis not only on locating the concept of social capital in the local or community context, but also in calling attention to the comprehensive framework of macro-economic and political forces and public policies which shape local interactions and networks, with very real implications for economic and social outcomes. In the author's view, both dimensions are necessary for adequate framing of the forces and social characteristics which we are trying to comprehend.