The Strength of Local Engagement
Abstract: Recent years have seen a rise in the role of communities in achieving the global goals of poverty alleviation alongside environmental protection. Simultaneously, it is increasingly recognised that communities are subject to power asymmetries resulting in differential abilities among community members to benefit from the sustainable management of natural resources. Striving to explore community- based resource management from a new angle, this thesis draws on ideas from different fields of study to build a framework highlighting social networks as central to capabilities for sustainable livelihoods. Following a qualitative single- case study design, documentary data describing the strategies of an organisation employing such community-based approaches are analysed through the developed framework in order to illuminate how these reflect the ideas in the literature. It is found that organisations can empower communities through the facilitation of ties necessary for an enabling social environment while further acting as a network tie themselves through which community members can expand their asset bases. In both scenarios, the support of the outside organisation emerges as key so as to circumvent the hurdles rooted in limited capabilities.
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