Paper short abstract:

Donor agencies have had great influence on social mobilization in Nepal and the NGOs are a major catalyzing force that attempt at class based mobilization to improve material dimension of poverty. Based on a critical re-reading of ‘social capital’, the paper argues that identity based mobilization is required to reduce poverty and inequality.

Paper long abstract:

The paper analyses the question of rural change through notions related to social capital - bonding, bridging and linking social relations. The concept of 'social capital' entered development theory and practice very rapidly, after the definition proposed by James Coleman in 1988, and the use to which Robert Putnam put the concept in 1993 in Making Democracy Work. It is even claimed that social capital is the "missing link" in development, partly because it adds a new focus to "people-centred development", and partly because it can be seen as a complement to other forms of capital. Critics suggest that the concept of social capital as advocated by both neo-liberals and postmodernists is chaotic, ambiguous and rooted in unsatisfactory understanding both of social and of capital. Though sharing part of this critique, the paper argues that social capital can provide helpful insights.

Empirically, the paper compares and contrasts three case studies of social mobilization in three locations - a remote village, a roadside village and a Maoist controlled village. The findings reveal that building on ethnic bonding relationships can facilitate bridging between groups, which in turn generates more organic social capital and underpins struggles against hierarchical linking mechanical relations using the mix of participative and directive change strategy. It shows that not just market relations and rural infrastructure development, but progressive political, social and ideological changes are needed to bring about the kind of rural transformation that generates more equality and justice as well as more wealth.