Page 727 - Proceedings Collega2023

Literature Review

Social Capital

The term social capital was first introduced by Lyda Judson Hanifan in an article published in 1916.
Through her research, she uses this term to describe the significant elements that exist in the daily lives
of individuals, such as cohesion, unity, sympathy and social relationships. Since then, the understanding
and research of social capital have expended and produced a body of knowledge that attests to its crucial
role in many development-related fields.

In this regard, Bourdieu, Coleman and Putnam are the prominent scholars responsible for
popularising and expanding this concept in a contemporary context. According to their research, each of
them assesses social capital in accordance with their respective disciplines. In his analysis of social capital,
Coleman (1994) focuses the rational individualistic choice theory evaluated on its function. Meanwhile,
Putnam (1995) interpreted it based on a social organisation that places emphasis on the importance of
characteristics such as norms, beliefs and networks. On the other hand, Bourdieu (1986) was perceived as
being more interested in inequality and the power of social capital as a source of social stratification.
However, they share the same view of highlighting the quality of social capital networks, which are vital
and valuable resources for society and should be highlighted as such.
Social capital is acknowledged in the context of this study as an essential framework of social
structures, which also refers to indigenous wisdom that places a strong emphasis on participation,
accountability, reciprocity and a thorough understanding of social relationships in communities. This
indigenous wisdom is seen as a local way of thinking as well as wisdom filled with profundity and the
practice of good values rooted in the lives of communities, resulting from practice over time (Syed, Hamzah
& Ibrahim, 2019; Ajisman, 2020). The practice of these values is the fundamental knowledge needed to
produce decisions in various aspects of social life in order to achieve a common goal.

This idea is not only seen as a key mechanism in the development of social capital in typical
settlements, but it also holds great potential to preserve traditional settlements through the involvement
of the local community. According to the number of studies, social capital is summarised into three
categories, which are: (1) bonding social capital, (2) bridging social capital and (3) linking social capital
(Claridge, 2018a; Mpanje et al., 2018; Cofré-bravo et al., 2019; Scheffert et al., 2020; Lee, 2020).

The first is referred to as bonding social capital since it entails the solid relationships that develop
between people in a similar social group (network closure). The networks with a high density of ties
between the community members in traditional settlements are directly related to the bonding social
capital (Claridge, 2018a). As a result of their constant interaction and familiarity with one another, all
members of the community network are tightly connected. The values and shared understandings that
each member of the community possesses allow them to cooperate and build trust with one another. This
sort of social capital typically consists of family, friends and neighbours who can offer both material and
emotional assistance. The integration between the actors will foster collective actions among them and
manifest a sense of willingness to make sacrifices for others.

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