Social capital, poverty alleviation and complexity in Africa. Evidence from rural areas
ISSN: 0144-3585
Article publication date: 5 July 2022
Issue publication date: 1 May 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The aim is to discuss the role of social capital in alleviating poverty in the rural setting of Africa by viewing it as an individual and collective asset.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use primary data from a survey on rural households living in three different districts in rural Africa. The authors design a social complexity index giving evidence on the poverty alleviation effect of complex patterns of civic participation at district level.
Findings
Results support the view that social capital may mitigate poverty only if a rural household simultaneously participates in a plurality of social communities. Such mitigation is reinforced if she also lives in a socially complex district, whereas on the contrary the social complexity of a district, per se, is not enough to alleviate poverty.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to advance the knowledge of African rural areas and to identify potential developments of poverty policies in Africa based on diversified social capital as a valuable ingredient for poverty alleviation policies. This paper also contributes to the debate on social capital by showing that diversified social capital has a prevailing individual nature rather than a collective one.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors, and in particular Giuseppe Tesoriere, would like to thank the staff of the Ugandan Ministry of Water and Environment, as well as officials and communities of the districts involved in the surveys, and Mr. Sergio di Maio, Mr. Garbiele Speciale and Mr. Gaetano Beninati for their kind support. This paper represents the opinions of the authors, and is the product of professional research. It is not meant to represent the position or opinions of the World Resources Institute, nor the official position of any staff members. Any errors are the fault of the authors.
Citation
Scuderi, R., Tesoriere, G., Fasone, V. and Pedrini, G. (2023), "Social capital, poverty alleviation and complexity in Africa. Evidence from rural areas", Journal of Economic Studies, Vol. 50 No. 4, pp. 806-820. https://doi.org/10.1108/JES-03-2022-0177
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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