THE COMMUNICATIVE RATIONALITY OF SOCIAL CAPITAL. A HABERMASIAN PERSPECTIVE ON SOCIAL CAPITAL

Authors

  • ANABELLA - MARIA TÂRNOVAN Post-PhD Fellow Romanian Academy, Iași Branch, Beneficiary of the SOP HRD/159/1.5/133675 Project, Romanian Academy, Iași Branch.

Keywords:

social capital, communicative rationality, communicative action theory, instrumental rationality, rational choice theory

Abstract

One of the main criticisms directed towards social capital theory is related to its “economistic” nature and the instrumentalization of social relations. The present article is an attempt to challenge this view and to propose an alternative perspective of social capital based on Jürgen Habermas communicative action theory. Accordingly I suggest understanding social capital through the lens of communicative rationality and argue that reconceptualizing social capital into communicative social capital might benefit both social capital theory and practice. To do so, I first address the rationality issue in social capital theories by simultaneously bringing upfront some of the tensions in the debate concerned with the instrumental rationality, predominant in the social capital literature. Further I present Jürgen Habermas communicative action theory and try to underline its value for social capital scholarship. Finally, I discuss some of the implications of the reinterpretation of social capital from a communicative rationality perspective and suggest some directions to be explored in future social capital approaches.

Author Biography

ANABELLA - MARIA TÂRNOVAN, Post-PhD Fellow Romanian Academy, Iași Branch, Beneficiary of the SOP HRD/159/1.5/133675 Project, Romanian Academy, Iași Branch.

Acknowledgement: This paper is supported by the Sectoral Operational Programme Human Resources Development (SOP HRD), financed from the European Social Fund and by the Romanian Government under the contract number POSDRU/159/1.5/133675

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Published

11-03-2016