In this volume, both the theoretical and empirical aspects of the triptych "social capital - trust - civil society" are attempted to be outlined; concepts of diverse origins. Both the concepts themselves and their combination have come to the forefront with the revival of analytical interest in social life in general, especially for social life during the current period of late modernity, which is characterized, among other things, by prevailing individualization. Today, the question arises again about how social life is possible in contemporary societies, which, given their diversity, are characterized as Western-type cultural, politically liberal-democratic, and socio-economically capitalist.
The authors are sociologists and political scientists. As expected, each one of them, in addition to the approach they adopt, starts and transfers their own distinct scientific discipline to the theoretical elaborations, thematic priorities, methodological choices, as well as to the ways of processing empirical material. From this perspective, this volume, which is followed by the exploration of the key concepts of trust, social capital, and civil society, is characterized by conceptual pluralism.