Social Capital and Equality: Tocqueville’s Legacy

Social capital theory has become increasingly important in the social science literature, integrating approaches previously based only on the classical forms of capital. In this article, the emergence of the concept of Social Capital is approached from a sociological and political point of view. A review of classical sociological theories introduces a critique of Putnam’s analysis to highlight an important gap in the literature. The relationship between inequalities and Social Capital at the macro level, in fact, has not been developed adequately in mainstream literature. The conclusion suggests a possible new way to look at the relation between Social Capital and inequalities, providing a theoretical basis for new research.