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Paper short abstract:

The paper presents evidence on whether we can intentionally create social networks among extreme poor women that result in formation of social capital. we found a positive impact of targeted interventions in creating heterophyllous interactions, weak social ties and multidimensional social capital.

Paper long abstract:

Rural social networks can facilitate access to various social resources for women. These social resources work as social capital and equip women to resist shocks and achieve different development outcomes. However, a fundamental question in social capital research remains whether we can intentionally create social networks that help to form social capital among targeted participants. We aim to answer this research question by focusing on the formation process of social capital among extreme poor women. Our study setting is based on rural areas of Bangladesh. Following a network approach, we conceptualize social capital at the individual level. We create a matched treatment and control sample group using the Propensity score matching technique and evaluate whether targeted interventions can create social capital among extreme poor women. We look into the formation process of social capital by examining types of interaction made to create social ties, the nature of social ties used to create social networks and the kinds of social capital created. We find positive evidence of creating social capital among extreme poor women through external interventions. Our analysis shows that interventions facilitate to make more heterophyllous interactions which result in the creation of more weak ties. At last, our findings indicate that it is easier to create the volume of social capital than the quality of it among extreme poor women. Overall, it is a significant finding as it shows that it is possible to create access to social resources through social networks, even among one of the most vulnerable.