| By Anthony Bebbington | Antipode 34(4): 800-803 |
Introduction: Social capital is a fascinating and perplexing concept—not only (and perhaps not even mainly) because of its strengths or weaknesses qua concept, but also because of the vibrancy and virulence of the debates to which its post-Putnam popularization has given rise. I have encountered and been part of these debates as they have played out in development studies, and in particular in how they contribute to my own research in the Andes on the political and economic roles of indigenous and peasant federations and the livelihood strategies of their members. I have also been part of these debates as they pertain to discussions of the role of the World Bank (where I have spent two eight-to-twelve-month stays) in the production of development dis-course. This, then, is the position from which I write these comments.