Question map
In the context of any country, which one of the following would be considered as part of its social capital?
Explanation
The correct answer is option D because families are primary building blocks for social capital, creating norms and social ties, and providing a social network that benefits its members[1]. More broadly, civic engagement, honesty and social trust can reinforce each other[2], indicating that mutual trust and harmony are key components of social capital.
The other options represent different forms of capital: Option A (literacy proportion) relates to human capital, as the role of government in sustaining social capital is less clear than in the context of human capital[3], suggesting these are distinct concepts. Option B (buildings, infrastructure, and machines) represents physical capital. Option C (working-age population) is demographic capital or human resources. Social capital specifically refers to the networks, norms, trust, and social relationships that facilitate cooperation and coordination within society, making option D the only correct choice.
Sources- [1] https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2001/05/the-well-being-of-nations_g1gh268d/9789264189515-en.pdf
- [2] https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2001/05/the-well-being-of-nations_g1gh268d/9789264189515-en.pdf
- [3] https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2001/05/the-well-being-of-nations_g1gh268d/9789264189515-en.pdf
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a classic 'Definition by Elimination' question. While 'Social Capital' is a sociological term, options A, B, and C are standard NCERT definitions for Human Capital, Physical Capital, and Demographic Dividend respectively. If you know what the others are, the answer reveals itself.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: In the context of a country, is the proportion of literates in the population considered part of its social capital?
- Statement 2: In the context of a country, is the stock of buildings, other infrastructure and machines considered part of its social capital?
- Statement 3: In the context of a country, is the size of the population in the working-age group considered part of its social capital?
- Statement 4: In the context of a country, is the level of mutual trust and harmony in society considered part of its social capital?
- Explicitly distinguishes social capital from human capital, implying they are separate categories.
- If literacy is treated as an outcome of education/human capital, this passage supports that literacy is not automatically part of social capital.
- Notes the historical link between social capital and education, indicating some conceptual overlap.
- Shows that social capital has been discussed in the context of education and local communities.
- Identifies families and schools as primary building blocks for social capital, linking institutions related to education to social capital formation.
- Suggests that elements connected to education (schools) contribute to social capital, indicating some aspects of education relate to social capital.
States that the 'quality of population' depends on literacy and that a literate population is an asset — framing literacy as a population attribute linked to broader societal quality.
A student could combine this with a standard distinction between 'human capital' (skills, education) and 'social capital' (networks, norms) to judge whether literacy more naturally fits human or social capital.
Defines population as a 'human resource' and describes education/skill formation as 'human capital formation', directly associating literacy/education with human capital.
Using this, a student can infer literacy is commonly treated as human capital and thus weigh against classifying it as social capital without additional social-network evidence.
Explicitly calls literacy an important characteristic that enhances skills and productivity of 'human capital'.
A student could use this pattern to argue literacy is primarily an input to individual productive capacity (human capital) and only secondarily related to social capital unless linked to social networks/trust.
Notes literacy provides opportunities for employment and is determined by socio-cultural factors, linking literacy to social conditions and interactions.
A student might extend this to hypothesize that because literacy affects social interaction and status, it could influence social capital (networks/trust), so proportion literate may indirectly affect social capital measures.
Says population composition by residence is an important indicator of social and economic characteristics, illustrating how demographic attributes serve as social indicators.
A student could analogously treat literacy proportion as a demographic indicator that signals social characteristics (and thereby may correlate with social capital), prompting empirical comparison across regions.
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