Social Capital, Civility and Compliance: Theorising the Social Context of Crime

• NCJ Number: 221598
• Journal: Acta Criminologica Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Dated: 2004 Pages: 99-105
• Author(s): P. Croucamp
• Date Published: 2004
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Theoretical)
• Language: English
• Country: South Africa
• Note: Downloaded February 14, 2008; To access the full text PDF: 1) select the provided link; 2) from the Acta Criminologica Web site, select "Table of Contents"; 3) select the corresponding Volume and Issue (see the NCJRS abstract record for the exact Volume and Issue); 4) scroll the Table of Contents to the exact article; and 5) click on the "full text" icon

Annotation

This paper defines "social capital" and discusses its validity as a measure of and means of addressing crime in a society, using South Africa as an illustration of the concepts considered.

Abstract

Bayart (1999) conceptualizes "social capital" as the configuration of relationships and interactions among people in a society and between societal institutions, including government, that emerge over long historical trajectories in the relationship between states and societies. Putnam's (1995) conception of "social capital" is similar, but refers more directly to individual relations. He defines "social capital" as those "features of social life--networks, norms, and trust--that enable participants to act together more effectively to pursue shared objectives." Under these definitions, the process of nurturing and entrenching social capital could well be referred to as nation-building. Crime is a manifestation of the breakdown or depletion of social capital. It violates both the formal norms that define constructive and beneficial socioeconomic interactions as well as the informal norms that promote social capital (trust and mutual help). An index of corruption and the extent to which it is tolerated in a society provides a valid measurement of social capital or its absence in South Africa. Although crime statistics may provide some evidence of the depletion of social capital in a society, a measure of social capital itself may capture a more accurate picture of the moral virtues of society and the state that provide the bulwark against crime. A proficient measurement instrument for social capital will provide not only a more valid statistical measurement of crime, but also point the way for addressing the conditions that promote crime and social disorder. 10 notes and a 15-item bibliography