Social capital can be split into three connecting strands: bonding social capital (strong ties between immediate family members, neighbours, close friends, and business associates sharing similar demographic characteristics); bridging social capital (weaker ties between people from different ethnic, geographical, and occupational backgrounds but with similar economic status and political influence); linking social capital (ties between poor people and those in positions of influence in formal organisations such as banks, agricultural extension offices, schools, housing authorities, or the police).