Nor glue, neither sociological lubricant, but electromagnetic field: the Social Capital metaphors in local development

Abstract

In general terms, academic literature on social capital builds on the empirical evidence that economic variables are not sufficient to bring about local development models that are socially just and environmentally sustainable; it is almost consensual in reaffirming that civic engagement networks, norms of mutual trust, resources stemming from social networks, the wealth of associative tissues and political institutions do have a direct impact when it comes to a qualitative increase on the communication between individuals and social actors, the production of more intensive modalities of social interaction, and the reduction of collective action dilemmas around local development strategies. It goes without saying that one of the critical elements of the current debate on the relationships between social capital and local development concerns the local development concept itself. Therefore, in this article, rooted in a definition of local development formulated by himself, the author has two main goals: (1) to analyze the conceptual dispute that reigns within the academia around the definition of social capital; (2) to argue that metaphors can be a valuable tool in better understanding the multiple roles that social capital may play in different contexts of local development. In the conclusion, based on his own research experience in the municipality of Pintadas in Bahia, between 2003 and 2005, the author sketches theoretical and methodological parameters in order to understand the relationships between social capital and local development.