Social Capital Formation for Good Governance Jos Chathukulam Director Centre for Rural Management (CRM) Kottayam & K Rajasekharan Kerala Institute of Local Administration

Social Capital Widely discussed theme among the academic and policy circles. Why development and collective action take place in some places and not in others? It is a major factor accounting for the popularity of the concept. No answer to traditional economists? A new way of looking at the Institutional and Cultural aspects of development.

Social Capital

Widely discussed theme among the academic and policy circles.

Why development and collective action take place in some places and not in others?

It is a major factor accounting for the

popularity of the concept.

No answer to traditional economists?

A new way of looking at the Institutional and Cultural aspects of development.

Social Capital Associational Life Network of interactions among members Norms of reciprocity and trust Trust Members Radiating effect on Society Contd….

Social Capital

Associational Life

Network of interactions among members

Norms of reciprocity and trust

Trust Members Radiating effect on Society

Generalised Trust Social Capital Civic Sense Effective Local Government

Generalised Trust

Social Capital

Civic Sense

Effective Local Government

Putnam 1. Existence of a civic community and the emergence of efficient and responsive local government are inter - related. Civil Society Panchayat Horizontally organised clubs and associations are the ideal sites for the generation of Social Capital.

Putnam

1. Existence of a civic community and the emergence of efficient and responsive local government are inter - related.

Civil Society Panchayat

Horizontally organised clubs and associations are the ideal sites for the generation of Social Capital.

2. Horizontally organised clubs and associations are the ideal sites for the generation of Social Capital. Clubs & Civil Social Associations Society Capital Effective, Responsive Vibrant, Responsible (Good Governance) Panchayat

2. Horizontally organised clubs and associations are the ideal sites for the generation of Social Capital.

Clubs & Civil Social Associations Society Capital

Effective, Responsive

Vibrant, Responsible

(Good Governance)

Panchayat

Putnam, Robert, (1993): Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy . Princeton: Princeton University Press Northern Italian Local Governments registered better performance in view of the thick associational life that existed there. Putnam or Beyond Putnam? One has to beyond Putnam while analysing Social Capital in Kerala.

Putnam, Robert, (1993): Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy . Princeton: Princeton University Press

Northern Italian Local Governments registered better performance in view of the thick associational life that existed there.

Putnam or Beyond Putnam?

One has to beyond Putnam while analysing Social Capital in Kerala.

Social Capital in Kerala 1. Serra, Renata, (2001): “Social Capital: Meaningful and Measurable at the State Level?” Economic and Political Weekly , Vo. 36, no.8, Feb24-March 2, pp., 693-704. Kerala scored high on state having the “highest stocks of Social Capital” “ Kerala exhibits the highest scores on almost all variables” “ Kerala appears as the best Indian example of a society with high Social Capital ”

Social Capital in Kerala

1. Serra, Renata, (2001): “Social Capital:

Meaningful and Measurable at the State Level?”

Economic and Political Weekly , Vo. 36, no.8,

Feb24-March 2, pp., 693-704.

Kerala scored high on state having the “highest

stocks of Social Capital”

“ Kerala exhibits the highest scores on almost all

variables”

“ Kerala appears as the best Indian example of a

society with high Social Capital ”

2. Veron, Rene, (2001): “ The `New’ Kerala Model:Lessons for Sustainable Development”, World Development, Vol. 29, no.4, pp. 601-17. “ Grass roots environmental action tends to meet favourable conditions in Kerala because of its richness in social capital ; people are politically aware and experienced with collective action”.

2. Veron, Rene, (2001): “ The `New’ Kerala

Model:Lessons for Sustainable Development”,

World Development, Vol. 29, no.4, pp. 601-17.

“ Grass roots environmental action tends to meet

favourable conditions in Kerala because of its

richness in social capital ; people are politically

aware and experienced with collective action”.

3. Blomkvist, Has, (2000): Social Capital, Associations, and Political Competition, paper for ECPR Joint Workshop, available from http://www.essex.ac.uk/ecpr/ jointsessions/Copenhagen/papers/ws13/blomkvist.pdf Making a comparison between Kerala and West Bengal more than regime type, it is the existence of political mobilisation, civil society and social capital that contributed to the strong difference between these two states in poverty reduction.

3. Blomkvist, Has, (2000): Social Capital,

Associations, and Political Competition, paper

for ECPR Joint Workshop, available from

http://www.essex.ac.uk/ecpr/ jointsessions/Copenhagen/papers/ws13/blomkvist.pdf

Making a comparison between Kerala and West Bengal more than regime type, it is the existence of political mobilisation, civil society and social capital that contributed to the strong difference between these two states in poverty reduction.

4. Harriss, John, (2001): Social Capital Construction and the Consolidation of Civil Society in Rural Areas, Development Studies Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science, Working Paper no. 16. available from http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/destin/workpapers/PUBLICATIONPAPER.pdf Class and mass organisations as the repository of social capital in Kerala and people’s plan campaign is also moulded within the state society synergy framework, within a political process and not within a framework that substitutes state action

4. Harriss, John, (2001): Social Capital Construction and the Consolidation of Civil Society in Rural Areas, Development Studies Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science, Working Paper no. 16. available from

http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/destin/workpapers/PUBLICATIONPAPER.pdf

Class and mass organisations as the repository

of social capital in Kerala and people’s plan

campaign is also moulded within the state

society synergy framework, within a political

process and not within a framework that

substitutes state action

5. Heller, Patrick, (2000): “Degrees of Democracy: Some Comparative Lessons from India”, World Politics , 52, 2, pp. 484-519. Civil society in Kerala, unlike in Putnam’s thinking, had “distinctly political origins”, Heller fails to notice the poverty of horizontal non political civic associations in Kerala?.

5. Heller, Patrick, (2000): “Degrees of

Democracy: Some Comparative Lessons from

India”, World Politics , 52, 2, pp. 484-519.

Civil society in Kerala, unlike in Putnam’s

thinking, had “distinctly political origins”,

Heller fails to notice the poverty of horizontal

non political civic associations in Kerala?.

6. Morris, Mathew, (1998), Social Capital and Poverty in India, IDS Working Paper 61. available from http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/bookshop/wp/Wp61.pdf . High level of Social Capital and poverty reduction are related in Kerala.

6. Morris, Mathew, (1998), Social Capital and Poverty in India, IDS Working Paper 61. available from http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/bookshop/wp/Wp61.pdf .

High level of Social Capital and poverty reduction are related in Kerala.

7. Mayer, Peter, (2001): Human Development and Civic Community in India”, Economic and Political Weekly , Vo. 36, no.8, Feb24-March 2, pp. 684-692. Kerala has the lowest perceived level of corruption due to the high existence of Social Capital.

7. Mayer, Peter, (2001): Human Development and Civic Community in India”, Economic and Political Weekly , Vo. 36, no.8, Feb24-March 2, pp. 684-692.

Kerala has the lowest perceived level of corruption due to the high existence of Social Capital.

Left in Kerala on Social Capital Construction by World Bank to incorporate and encourage the role of NGOs and non political formations without questioning the power relations and grass root level (Baby, 2002). Social Capital is seen as the world bank’s own new determinant of development in line with its overall global agenda (Kunjikannan, 2002). Democratic decentralisation can help mobilise Social Capital but only to those homes of Social Capital that can fit in with state society synergy framework. Highly critical on Social Capital as an ahistorical category independent of social relations (Issac 2000).

Left in Kerala on Social Capital

Construction by World Bank to incorporate and encourage the role of NGOs and non political formations without questioning the power relations and grass root level (Baby, 2002).

Social Capital is seen as the world bank’s own new determinant of development in line with its overall global agenda (Kunjikannan, 2002).

Democratic decentralisation can help mobilise Social Capital but only to those homes of Social Capital that can fit in with state society synergy framework. Highly critical on Social Capital as an ahistorical category independent of social relations (Issac 2000).

Counter Evidence Attack on public property. Misuse of public institutions. Rules are seldom observed. Electricity pilfering. Lack of facilities for hygienic disposal of waste. Contd….

Counter Evidence

Attack on public property.

Misuse of public institutions.

Rules are seldom observed.

Electricity pilfering.

Lack of facilities for hygienic disposal of waste.

Institutionalised corruption. Low quality of public services. Plundering the commons. Tax evasion. Poor Social Capital ? or Decline of Social Capital ?

Institutionalised corruption.

Low quality of public services.

Plundering the commons.

Tax evasion.

Poor Social Capital ?

or

Decline of Social Capital ?

Findings Complexities of analysing Social Capital Inadequacy of secondary data in understanding Social Capital. Higher levels of education and political consciousness need not automatically lead to higher civic sense. Social Capital is not self - generative process and the role of agency particularly leadership is crucial in its formation and sustainability. Contd….

Findings

Complexities of analysing Social Capital

Inadequacy of secondary data in understanding Social Capital.

Higher levels of education and political consciousness need not automatically lead to higher civic sense.

Social Capital is not self - generative process and the role of agency particularly leadership is crucial in its formation and sustainability.

The existence of a large number of vertical associations need not be correlated with effective local governance. Kerala’s associational life is found to be strongest in its agitational aspects. ‘Group’ is as their ‘Entitlement’ and it is found to be the strongest in generating quality of life (better Human Development Index) civic consciousness. But it is found to be the weakest in generating civic consciousness. Contd….

The existence of a large number of vertical associations need not be correlated with effective local governance.

Kerala’s associational life is found to be strongest in its agitational aspects. ‘Group’ is as their ‘Entitlement’ and it is found to be the strongest in generating quality of life (better Human Development Index) civic consciousness.

But it is found to be the weakest in generating civic consciousness.

The thick associational life (vertical) does lead to the development of better Human Development Index generalised trust or civic virtue. But does not lead to the development of generalised trust or civic virtue. At no point in the people’s planning phase the class and mass organisations came forward to actively participate in the campaign as hoped by PPC managers. Because they are moulded with in an agitational frame. Social Capital generated through horizontal organisations with suitable linkages with panchayat to be the most vigorous and sustainable. This model may generate Human Development and civic virtue at a time.

The thick associational life (vertical) does lead to the development of better Human Development Index generalised trust or civic virtue. But does not lead to the development of generalised trust or civic virtue.

At no point in the people’s planning phase the class and mass organisations came forward to actively participate in the campaign as hoped by PPC managers. Because they are moulded with in an agitational frame.

Social Capital generated through horizontal organisations with suitable linkages with panchayat to be the most vigorous and sustainable. This model may generate Human Development and civic virtue at a time.

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