The social capital of rural productive organizations of the social economy

The constructivist approach to community development recognizes the transformative and innovative role of the social aspect (social capital) of social economic organizations, to promote inclusive processes of resource mobilization and management of the commons. The research identifies relational strengths and weaknesses in rural productive organizations of the social economy of the province of Manabi-Ecuador, through the assessment of social capital. The methodology applied to assess social capital incorporates components of the institutional, cognitive and structural dimension, in three areas of analysis: territorial context, profile of the organization and relationship between members. At the territorial level, the limited coverage of public services affects all organizations, makes living conditions precarious, makes relationships difficult and confines development opportunities. The assessment of the organizational profile shows strengths to establish roles, rules and procedures and weakness in the construction of networks with external actors. For the relationship between members, the difficulty lies in maintaining a shared vision and sanctioning opportunistic behavior. Therefore, identifying the differences in the relational conditions of organizations, according to the level of social capital endowment, it is useful to guide the formulation of practical intervention strategies that promote local development through the strengthening of associations and cooperatives.