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ARI Abstracts Paper B. PDF Print E-mail

Paper B. - Social Capital in the Alleviation of Urban Poverty…Methods for its Formation
and use in the Inner City Context

There are substantial practices and arguments that suggest and substantiate the importance of social capital for pro-poor development outcomes.  This paper examines these arguments by reviewing various interventions in Kingston’s poor inner city areas.

The evidence suggests that violence and social exclusion contribute to deformed relationships.  This in part is characterised by low levels of trust, cooperation, volunteerism, community organisation, and a reduced capacity for meaningful actions and positive change.  KRC’s work in inner city communities revolve around community organisation building.  This is the basis for realising new ways of interacting and building capability to resolve initially small, but increasingly complex problems. 

A thorough understanding of the realities of the communities, its residents, and the institutions therein must inform local interventions if they are to be meaningful and successful.  Equally important is the recognition that these processes take time to evolve and strengthen, and progress can be varied and uneven.

The evidence from two state programmes validate these assertions, and help us to conclude that the formation and use of social capital is indispensable for sustained poverty reduction and realising strong development outcomes in the short to medium term.
 
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