Social Capital and Civic Culture

Abstract

Social Capital and Civic Culture: An Approach to the Thinking of Robert D. Putnam The civic culture literature has often professed the ideal of liberalism and individualistic freedom. This ideal is incompatible with some of the components of Putnam's definition of social capital. These components of social capital are engaged citizens (civic engagement/ high social participation), solidarity and trust, and social structures that serves to enhance cooperation between citizens. Putnam's dichotomy liberal individualism versus republicanism in itself suggests that the liberal and highly individualistic standpoint is increasingly difficult to defend in a Western world where the basis of a common culture and a functioning social cohesion seems to be about to be lost. However, even Putnam's republican ideal appears hard to maintain in the long .run in the historical process of advanced secularisation and modernisation. It may be that this republican combination of a high degree of civic engagement in politics, organisations, elections, sports clubs etc, a high degree of participation, and at least some degree of preserved sense of traditional virtues and anchorage in religion, impying a high degree of shared values as the basis for participation and discussion, represented the ultimate height of civic culture.