Theories of Social Capital: Researchers Behaving Badly

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The book critically examines the concept of social capital, tracing its evolution and highlighting its detrimental impact on various social science disciplines. Ben Fine argues that social capital's expansion leads to a degradation of academic rigor, likening it to the McDonaldization of social theory. He analyzes its fluctuating significance at institutions like the World Bank and its uneven presence across disciplines, such as management studies versus social history. Fine offers insights on effective research practices while deconstructing the complexities of social capital's role in academia.