Abstract:

Although the important names of the social capital theory think differently from several aspects, actually they emphasize the sane thing -importance of the social relations. In this study we will start out with the same emphasize, i.e. the postulate that the relations or associations, or contacts and networks bear a capital value from the aspect of both the individual and the society. So much so that, while presence of the said capital makes people more successful, happier and healthier on individual platform, on social level, it incorporates the promise of creating such societies which are more confident, healthier, more cultured, better governed, and generally happier than “those having less capital stock”. Both the said promises of the social capital makes it more engaging, and presence of such benefits establishes the necessity of examining the social capital more extensively. Nevertheless, despite the plenty of the works authored and researches conducted on social capital in foreign literature, this is not applicable for Turkey. The existing studies on social capital in Turkish literature bear deficiencies in both qualitative an quantitative terms. The existing studies do not suffice to develop the social capital profile of Turkey both in terms of content as they degrade the social capital which is a multidimensional concept to a single dimension such as “participation” or “confidence”, and in terms of quantity. When considered that the social capital is mechanism to assist the state in fulfilling its functions, an instrument facilitating and enabling development, a social adhesive holding the society together, and new strategy used in the programs of strive against poverty, the need to the studies to be conducted on social capital comes into view. Starting out on these grounds, this study aims to reveal the social capital profile and Turkey's social capital stock by analyzing the network characteristics (networking behaviors, network fields, and differentiation and concentration degrees in the network) of Turkish society.

Keywords: