The concepts of quot;social capitalquot; and quot;networksquot; gain increasing acceptance even in core branches of economics as growth theory and international trade. International organizations have begun to condition credit approval on the availability of social capital in lender communities....

In many analyses of the Chinese so-called economic miracle, cultural factors loom large. This paper offers a brief overview of recent economic approaches to culture and puts these into an analytical framework that highlights the dynamic and creative aspects of culture. I argue that China is a...