Articles

Social capital: is it what we're missing?

Stefanie Garber

The Return to Work Monitor paints a worrying picture: despite increased funding, resources and policy changes, less workers are returning to employment. The lack of social capital in return to work systems could be the reason why.

What is social capital? Social capital is the idea that a group will achieve more if group members trust each other to cooperate. Robert D. Putnam, the political scientist who founded the theory, describes social capital as the collective or economic benefit derived from members of a group working together. For example, most people stop at red lights even where it would make them late for an appointment or no police officer is arou...

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Published 13 April, 2013 | Updated 04 June, 2013