The dynamics of social capital and conflict management in multiple resource regimes: a case of the Southwestern Highlands of Uganda
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Sanginga, Pascal C., Kamugisha, Rick and Martin, Adrienne 
ORCID: 0000-0001-9305-7302
(2007)
The dynamics of social capital and conflict management in multiple resource regimes: a case of the Southwestern Highlands of Uganda.
Ecology and Society, 12 (1).
ISSN 1708-3087
Abstract
Increasingly, social capital, defined as shared norms, trust, and the horizontal and vertical social networks that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutually beneficial collective action, is seen as an important asset upon which people rely to manage natural resources and resolve conflicts. This paper uses empirical data from households and community surveys and case studies, to examine the role, strengths, and limits of social capital in managing conflicts over the use and management of natural
resources. We inventoried over 700 cases ranging from conflicts between multiple resource users to supracommunity
conflicts between local communities concerns for better livelihoods and national/international concerns for environment conservation. Results show how different types of social capital are used in preventing and managing conflicts. Endowment in certain dimensions of social capital significantly decreased the occurrence of conflicts and played a significant role in managing them. However, social capital mechanisms have some limits, and are not always effective in resolving some types of conflicts.
For such conflicts, people rely on formal mechanisms for arbitration and adjudication. In many cases, these
have resulted in exclusion, coercion, and violence. Results show that policies or social capital alone do not
possess the resources needed to promote broad-based and sustainable conflict resolution strategies. Rather,
people use a range of conflict management strategies of different types and combinations of social capital
and local polices. This synergy between social capital and local policy is based on complementarity and
embededness: mutually supportive relations between local government and local communities, and the nature and extent of the ties connecting people and communities and public institutions. Better understanding of how this synergy between social capital and local policy can be strengthened is crucial to minimize natural resource management conflicts.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | bylaws, conflicts, gender, highlands, natural resources management, social capital, synergy |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor |
| Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group: | Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Livelihoods & Institutions Department |
| Related URLs: | |
| Last Modified: | 29 Jan 2020 10:44 |
| URI: | http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/2395 |
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