Nan Lin (born 1938 in Chongqing, China)[1] is the Oscar L. Tang Family Professor of Sociology at Duke University.
In 1990 he took a position as sociology professor at Duke University,[1] where he also served as Director of the Asian-Pacific Studies Institute.
He has applied the theory and measurements to the study of social stratification and mobility, stress and coping, and individual, organization and community well-being.
His definition of social capital as access to resources through network ties is one of the most widely accepted conceptualizations of the term.
[6] Lin also rejects Putnam's thesis, put forward in Bowling Alone, that social capital is decreasing; he maintains that it is, in fact, on the ascent thanks to increasingly pervasive online networking.