Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/77368

In Japan today, the borrowed expression, “social capital”, has become an established analytical tool not only in sociology but in other fields as well. It serves as a policy term as well as a keyword that suggests consensus building in practical situations. For those working on agricultural revitalization, it has come to be used as a core concept for the preservation and reorganization of rural communities. The purpose of this paper is to follow the origins of the concept of and show that Coleman’s research must be considered as being among the most important contributions to our understanding of social capital. Section 1 presents the issues. Section 2 summarizes the historical trends in social capital and introduces the conceptual roots and definitions of social capital as discussed by Putnam. Section 3 summarizes how Coleman perceives the relevance of the concept of “norm” when discussing social capital theory. Section IV summarizes the main points of this translation of “NORMS AS SOCIAL CAPITAL”. It became abundantly clear that social norms are an important component of social capital. The aim of this paper, “NORMS AS SOCIAL CAPITAL” is to “consider the norm from the perspective of rational choice”. It discusses the emergence, formation and character of the norm as well as the sanctioning of social justice behavior that accompanies this. We performed a logical analysis in a targeted and careful manner and found that the essential component of “social capital” was “social norms”. It also became clear that social norms are a crucial concept that must be taken into consideration in any discussion of social capital. The origins of social capital theory lie in the work of Coleman. Especially, This paper, “NORMS AS SOCIAL CAPITAL”, is a mustread for anyone doing research on social capital.