Kapitał społeczny jako czynnik Rozwoju ekonomicznego i społecznego obszarów wiejskich

Social capital as a faktor in economic and social development of rural areas

The author presents social capital as an intangible faktor which is of great importance both in economy and social fife. Six elements of social capital are discussed: participation in networks, reciprocity, trust, social norms, a sense of the “commons”, co-operation and being proactiv. The author also discusses theories explaining the influence of intangible factors, including social capital, on development. In the closing part of the paper, the author describes the influence of social capital on social development.