---
title: "Bonding and Bridging Social Capital — Definition & Meaning"
description: "Bonding and bridging social capital describe how groups connect, influencing trust and cohesion in societies, crucial for policymakers and researchers."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/bonding-bridging-social-capital"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Bonding social capital refers to inward-looking ties within homogeneous groups, while bridging social capital refers to outward-looking ties connecting heterogeneous groups across social cleavages.
- What is the core difference between bonding and bridging social capital?
- How does linking social capital relate to the bonding-bridging typology?
- Why is bonding social capital sometimes described as having a 'dark side'?
- How is social capital different from civil society?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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Robert Putnam, in Bowling Alone (2000), documented declining American bridging social capital by showing that league bowling collapsed even as total bowlers rose—Americans were "bowling alone" rather than across social lines.

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