Military Review English Edition September-October 2013 | Page 14
In defining social capital and its role in the Army Profession, I argue that it has the power to maintain the strength of the profession. By exposing weaknesses in the Army’s social capital, I demonstrate how to develop methods to structure both trust and esprit de corps within the Army Profession to address this challenge.
Social Capital Defined
Social capital refers to “social networks, norms of reciprocity, mutual assistance, and trustworthiness.”2 Identified first in 1916, social capital’s scholarly use has increased since the 1990s with the release of Harvard Professor Robert Putnam’s research on the subject.3 Putnam first identifies the power of social capital by highlighting how it improves “the efficiency of society by facilitating coordinated actions.”4 Societies high in social capital also see an increased sense of pride, or esprit de corps, which further unites community members. In addition, Putnam identifies “trust as an essential component of social capital.” Trust arises personally at the local level, and grows to large organizations and communities through social trust.5 However, social trust is not just trust in an organization but is trust between people who when aggregated, equates to improved outcomes.6 If embedded in a group, social trust “enables action” because others anticipate a specific behavior from the actor.7 Two sources of social capital exist: norms of reciprocity and networks of civic engagement. Reciprocity increases trust by limiting collective action problems or those situations where group members benefit whether or not they contribute. Norms arise from routine behaviors and expectations. Generalized reciprocity, or whe ??HX? ? ?]?]^ X?[??[?][??[? ?] \???[?[?[??H ???X[?\][[?H [? ?Y[???]???[?[?\??] ??????]?X?[??Y?[Y[?\?H[?8?'\??[?X[??H? ???X[?\][8?'H[?XY ????\???[][?]Y\?H?X??] ??????YH[?H ?\?Y] H???\???^[\\? H[Y\?X?[?Y?[? ???? ??[Z[Y\? H ???X?K?? \??\?\?H??[][?]Y\? ?\]Z\?H8?'[?\?\[?[??K8?'H?\?\?[?? ?\?]?[?Y[?[[??Y[X?\??L\?H\?H ???[? ?? ???X[?\][???[??[???Y?[????[?? ???X[?\][\??] ?Y[???\ ?? ?[Z[\?[?]?Y X[ ?Z?H? \????\ ?L???[?]?X???[?^?][??H??\?\?Y???[?? ?\?[ ?[? ? ???[?Y??\?X[ K???]?\???Y?[?? ???X[?\][???\? ?????X?[??X????]?\??H ???X[??\ ?Z?H\??H ???X[[?[Y[? ?[? [?] ?\??X?H??\ ?\?H???X?[??\?H?????[???X][?Y??\?[?[?[??[????[][?]Y\?[??] ??????Y?[?? ???X[?\][?[?Y?] ? ??H[?[??] ?YH? H??\ YH ? ??]]?H^ \??[]Y\?[??\? ?? ? ??H?] ?YH H??\[ ??X??YH H?[?Y?] ? ??YY?H ???X[?\][ ?LH[????][?? HX???ZX?[?? Y[??H? H ??8?'?\][ 8?'H ???X[?\][[ ?? ?\??\?\???H ?]?]H[?H X?X???? ?\?H ?]?]H?[?]?Y X[??? ???X[?\][[ ?Y[X?\???H ?XX?[???] ? Z\??] ???[? H\????X]Y??\?? ?\? ??]ZXY ?L?[?]?Y X[ ? ?][? H?] ??? ?YH[\ ??Y?]??Y\?X???ZX?[ K \?X?[ K ???X[ K[?Y X?][?[ K??\?\? ?]?]H?[?Y?] ???YH???H ?\?[?? ??H\??[? [?H ?8?'[?H[ [??[?8?'H???\? ?\ ? \?[?? ?Y? [Y\??[H ??H^[\\?\??\? ??H ?][??] ??????[?^?][???[? ??YH?[?Y?] ? ? ??H?] ?YH H?] ??? ??Y??[? ?Z\?[?? ?? [?Y\?[??? ?\ ? ???HX?]?]Y\????X???\Y[X?\?? ? [?H?] ?YH] ?\?\? ??Y[??^ \??[]Y\?L??\?\?[?Y]?\?[? ??Y\?? ?X?Z]?H ?ZX?YH ?]?[?[? ?Z[?[?? \?[?? H\?^H?YH?ZX?YH?Y?] H?[???^H????\??^\? ???\ [X?\? ? L??
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