Social Capital and Economic Sociology

Social relationships are critical for understanding work and workplaces. Classical sociological research emphasizes the importance of worker solidarity, intragroup dynamics, and community relations as key determinants of economic outcomes. Contemporary scholarship on social networks and work tends to view interpersonal relationships as a resource that promotes the opportunities and productivity of workers. These resources are conceptualized as social capital and can be transmitted or conferred through interpersonal relationships or derived from abstract properties associated with network structure. This chapter describes the state of research on social capital and economic outcomes. Specifically, it summarizes theory and research on how access to and mobilization of social capital resources affect labor market and workplace processes and outcomes.