While the Coronavirus Pandemic has harmed financial capital, the social capital it has destroyed will cause far more harm in the long run.
“Social capital” is the term sociologists use to define mutual trust, reciprocity, and the shared norms that create quality of life and make a society resilient in times of stress.
In the race to the bottom, social capital is what is destroyed when people are afraid to speak up and defend themselves.
Social capital is what is destroyed when competitive pressures take precedence over community health.
Social capital is destroyed when the migrants become invisible and impotent.
When newsrooms hawk fakery and lies.
When temporary workers contend with each other for a few hours’ work.
Notes from the book, Heffernan, Margaret. “A Bigger Prize”