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Checking trust: observing social capital at the individual level

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2020

Vasabjit Banerjee  and
Carolyn E. Holmes
Vasabjit Banerjee
Affiliation:
Mississippi State University, Mississippi, USA
Carolyn E. Holmes*
Affiliation:
University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
*
Email: Ceh679@msstate.edu
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Abstract

Social capital research has measured the concept in two distinct ways: through direct reporting by participants in cross-national surveys and the presence of associative organisations. Both strategies raise difficulties: the former restricts comparability and assumes group stability; the latter relies on literal translation and uses direct questioning. We problematise these approaches and argue that the ratio of ‘check-points’ where individuals are asked to demonstrate adherence to rules, and ‘trust-points’ where such proofs are not required, can better measure social capital. Moreover, the unevenness of social capital between groups is perceptible by ‘fast-lanes’ that differentially treat individuals based on identity. Evidence from a field survey and observational evidence in South Africa is presented.

Keywords

Social capitalqualitative methodsSouth Africaraceinequality
Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Modern African Studies , Volume 58 , Issue 2 , June 2020 , pp. 213 - 234
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2020

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