Role of participation in collective capability development at the grassroots level: the case of an emergent indigenous NGO in southern Chile

Abstract

The links between individual and collective levels in the CA, and its relevance for the expansion of human capabilities and well-being, remain as one of the most relevant knowledge gaps across the empirical and theoretical CA literature. Most importantly, there is a limited understanding on how social structures and interactions between members of a collectivity can contribute to expand the capabilities of the group, which could not have been formed without these interactions. This thesis adopts an evaluative and prospective approach to explore the role of participation, specifically PAR, in shaping the collective capabilities of an emergent indigenous grassroots organisation in southern Chile. This research applies a combination of methods for data gathering and analysis, and in particular Grounded Theory to build theoretical understanding on the main factors that constraint or enhance collective capabilities in the context of participation for local sustainable development. The Grounded Theory Analysis sheds light on the crucial relevance of collective aspirations for creating collective capabilities. The analysis also contributes to understand the importance of participatory deliberation for reaffirming shared values and identities, as well as for voicing and constructing collective aspirations within these types of organisations