SOCIAL CAPITAL

‘Social capital refers to the institutions, relationships, and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a society's social interactions... Social capital is not just the sum of the institutions which underpin a society – it is the glue that holds them together' (Bank, 1999). Such social glue is one factor that determines how well society is able to organize collective action to solve major problems. Without societal cohesion and focus it is very difficult to make significant change. As such social capital is a critical element of sustainability. It tends to be higher in sustainable communities by their very definition and can exist at all scales-local, regional and global. The inherent social capital of earlier societies has been in decline in America since the mid-20th century.