Social Capital and Local Development in The Small Towns of Romania. Case Study: Sulina And Isaccea Town

This article analyzes the role of social capital networks in the development of Romanian small towns, after the communist period. To highlight the implications of lower levels of social capital in the already difficult process of revitalization and conversion of small towns, a case study comprising two communities, Sulina, and Isaccea, was undertaken. The analysis focuses on identifying and assessing formal and informal networks of social capital as a factor for the development of Romanian small towns (1) and the extent to which the physical isolation of an area influences the level of social capital (2). The empirical results of the study emphasize that, even though there are some differences in the levels of social capital between the two communities, isolation does not represent a decisive factor for social capital development and the underdeveloped overall social capital can be correlated with the poor development of small towns.