For all the criticism that has surrounding it, social capital nonetheless remains unambiguously one of social science's most successful export, and should be recognized as such. For this initial success to reach its full potential, however, the challenge remains to deploy a secondary set of tools and concepts that are better suited to enabling a more nuanced and sophisticated conversation on the wide range of specific issues that merit attention. There will always be a place for a term that can convey the essence of social science to larger audiences. but that term should not be expected to carry a load it cannot bear.