Capitalul social si dezvoltarea economica - un nou fagas al viziunii institutionaliste

In the last decades the concept of social capital—defined here as the norms and networks that enable people to act collectively—enjoyed a remarkable rise across the socio-economic disciplines. The present paper traces the evolution of social capital research as it pertains to economic development and identify four distinct approaches the research has taken, with special attention for institutional one. The evidence suggests that these views, with emphasis on incorporating different levels and dimensions of social capital and their recognition of the positive and negative outcomes that social capital can generate, lead to comprehensive and coherent development policy prescriptions.