Social Capital and Network Externalities: Evidence from Gender Sensitive JFM Programme in West Bengal

Abstract

This empirical exercise examines the impact of network externalities of social capital in a gender sensitive planning on Joint Forest Management Programme in West Bengal. One impact is that the pre-existing traditional characteristics of community solidarity, mutual trust and coordinated actions are the inner dynamic of the development for higher level social capital in JFM compared with non-JFM villages after JFM situation. The positive complementary effect of network externalities is also higher for the former villages. These two effects are more pronounced in women FPC villages in general and among very poor categories of households in particular within JFM villages.Social capital, joint forest management villages, forest protection committee villages, productivity, equity, sustainability.