TITLE:
Social Capital, Social Structures, and Triads
AUTHORS:
Lindon J. Robison, Tristan Claridge
KEYWORDS:
Social Capital, Indifference, Negative Social Capital, Social Structures, Triads
JOURNAL NAME:
Modern Economy,
Vol.16 No.9,
September
23,
2025
ABSTRACT: Conceptualizing relationships along a continuum—from social capital (empathy) to indifference, and from indifference to negative social capital (antipathy)—offers a valuable framework for analyzing social structures and their role in shaping economic and social exchanges. Different combinations of social capital, indifference, and negative social capital relationships produce ten triadic social structures. By examining how these distinct structures either facilitate or hinder the exchange of commodities, relational goods, and attachment value goods (things embedded with relational goods), this paper highlights the practical significance of social capital across diverse contexts, including families, economies, educational and political institutions, workplaces, and broader society.