Abstract
<jats:p>The role of social capital in crisis situations. Analysis of social attitudes in the context of the COcoVID -19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, which began at the turn of 2019 and 2020, will probably become one of the most significant events of the 21st century. During this period of crisis, understanding the mechanisms of functioning of societies has become crucial for dealing with the epidemic. One of the aspects that has turned out to be extremely important is social capital, understood for the purposes of this study as a set of connections between individuals and groups in society, based on trust, cooperation and collaboration. The aim of the publication is to analyze, using the example of the Polish economy, the relationship between socially responsible behavior and the spread of COVID-19 in 4 voivodeships (with the highest and lowest number of infections). In accordance with the extensive literature in the field of economics, political science and sociology, the author uses the concept of social capital to capture the extent to which an individual behaves in a socially responsible manner. In each province, regional and district differences in the spread of COVID-19 were analyzed in relation to the persistent regional and district differences in the level of social capital. The literature review on the discussed issue shows that social capital can largely explain differences in community responses to crisis situations and thus influence the spread of COVID-19. However, the conclusions from these studies are inconsistent and sometimes contradictory. It is not clear through what channels social capital influences the spread of COVID-19. This is confirmed by the research conducted by the author.</jats:p>