The Achievements and Problems of Geographical Debates on Social Capital Regarding its Relationship with Agricultural and Rural Studies

Abstract

This study aims to examine the contributions and perspectives of discussions of social capital in geographical debates regarding agricultural and rural studies. In geographical debates concerning agriculture and rural areas, it is necessary to investigate the roles of social capital and its consequences on local activities and land use in rural areas, considering differences of spatial scale and spatial orientation. In consequence of Robert Putnam’s studies in social sciences, there have been great discussions on social capital since the 1990s. In human geography, discussions on social capital became active after the critiques of Putnam’s research, and the spatiality and regional effects of social capital have also been investigated. In addition, the rise in discussions from a relational perspective—mainly in economic geography—has led to increased attention being focused on social capital and social networks. In Japanese rural geography, social capital attracts much attention. However, the center of discussion focuses only on bonding social capital in relation to strong social ties. It is necessary to discuss the interactions between bridging and bonding social capital and the effects of transformation of social relations. Furthermore, qualitative analysis focusing on cognitive social capital, such as mutual trust and shared norms, should be deepened as well as quantitative analysis. Such studies would strengthen not only the geographical discussion on social capital but also interdisciplinary debates on the subject.