Regional Comparisons: A Discussion on Social Capital and Local Development

The chapter discusses comparative results across regions regarding the application of the method for quantifying and qualifying the endowment of social capital and rural governance in Local Action Groups of the EU LEADER initiative. Results show that the Putnamian tradition alone does not suffice to capture some distinctive features of local social capital. It should be complemented by the Bourdieusian tradition which stresses the role of social networks in conjunction with the broader social and political context and thus sheds light on the multi-dimensional and contextual aspects of social capital and rural governance.