The front line of social capital creation – A natural experiment in symbolic interaction

This paper offers theoretical and empirical contributions to understanding the micro-sociological processes behind the creation of social capital. Theoretically, we argue that the emotional and shared experience of participating in symbolic interaction rituals may affect social capital in four different ways, via: (i) a ‘citizenship’ effect, connecting participants symbolically to the broader, civic society; (ii) a ‘supportive’ effect, bonding participants with each other; (iii) an exclusive ‘tribal’ effect, which crowds-out connections with other groups and the wider society; and (iv) an ‘atomising’ effect, whereby intense experiences create mental health problems that damage social capital.