What is social capital?

Over time, social capital has been understood as networks, associations, volunteering, trust, solidarity, sympathy, cooperation, reciprocity, belonging, norms, and relationships (Plagens, 2011). In simpler terms, social capital refers to networks and relationships among people. Trust, social network support, and participation are key components of social capital (Ahn & Davis, 2020; ONS 2021). The OECD defines social capital as networks together with shared norms, values and understandings that facilitates cooperation within or among groups” (ONS, 2021).

Why does social capital matter?

In the educational context, family and community within and outside of the educational setting– part of one’s social capital – has an impact upon individuals’ educational achievement (Israel, Beaulieu, & Hartless, 2001; Plagens, 2011). Education is one of the most important predictors of many forms of how individuals will engage in society—from voting to chairing a local committee to hosting a dinner party to trusting others (Helliwell & Putnam, 1999). This becomes a feedback loop, with educational and psychosocial outcomes influencing and being influenced by social capital (Dika & Singh, 2002).

In the higher education context, certain factors may influence a student’s social capital, including but certainly not limited to:

  • Whether another family member has attended university
  • Whether the student had support from their school in applying to university
  • Whether the student has people in their life they can go to for support
  • Whether the student is engaged in extracurricular activities (i.e., groups, clubs, societies, charities, organizations)
  • Whether the student undertakes paid work in addition to their studies
  • The length and type of transport the student requires for their commute to their usual university campus
  • The student’s protected characteristics

All of these factors may be interrelated – for example, a student may be the first in their family to attend university, and to afford university must undertake paid work, which limits the amount of time they can spend doing extracurricular activities. Perhaps this leads the student to develop their networking skills, to aid them in securing a job after their degree. Perhaps this helps the student to hone their time management skills, to participate in extracurricular activities, and build a social support network with friends. The Social Ties and Student Lives Project aims to understand the impact of social capital on the belonging, engagement, and broader student experience at Imperial.

How can we assess social capital?

Included below is a sample scale which was developed in accordance with the evidence-based best practices we have highlighted on the “Best Practices in Questionnaire Design” page in the Education Evaluation Toolkit.

If you are interested in investigating social capital in your context, please see the Imperial Social Capital Questionnaire , which you may adapt for your research needs. This questionnaire has undergone cognitive pretesting by a group of current and past Imperial students, and is one of the methods used in the Social Ties and Student Lives Project. The questionnaire was developed in 2025 and its validity and reliability will be better understood as the Social Ties and Student Live Project continues. Please contact Dr Julianne K. Viola if you are interested in using this questionnaire in your own context.

References:

Ahn, M. Y., & Davis, H. H. (2020). Sense of belonging as an indicator of social capital. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 40(7/8), 627-642.

Dika, S. L., & Singh, K. (2002). Applications of social capital in educational literature: A critical synthesis. Review of educational research, 72(1), 31-60.

Helliwell, J. F., & Putnam, R. D. (1999). Education and social capital.

Israel, G. D., Beaulieu, L. J., & Hartless, G. (2001). The influence of family and community social capital on educational achievement. Rural sociology, 66(1), 43-68.

Office for National Statistics (ONS). (2021, July 17). Social capital harmonised standard. Retrieved October 2024, from Government Analysis Function: https://analysisfunction.civilservice.gov.uk/policy-store/social-capital/

Plagens, G. K. (2011). Social capital and education: Implications for student and school performance. Education and Culture, 27(1), 40-64.

Putnam, Robert. 2000. Bowling Alone. New York: Simon and Schuster Paperbacks.

Last updated February 2025