My aim is somewhat different. It is to import the economists' principle of rational action for use in the analysis of social systems proper, including but not limited to economic systems, and to do so without discarding social organization in the process. The concept of social capital is a tool to aid in this.

DEFINE: Introduces social capital as the conceptual tool bridging rational choice economics and sociological analysis of social organization. Builds on: "Rational action theory becomes social by incorporating social structure."

Coleman, SocialCapitalCreation-1988, loc. 31