El capital social como eje dinamizador del desarrollo territorialaplicación al departamento del meta- colombia

Resum

Each territory is the protagonist of its sustainable territorial development dynamics, based on the enhancement of its real and potential endogenous resources, through the structuring of its territorial agents -institutions, companies, citizens and society-, as large blocks of actors that directly or indirectly influence these dynamics. In this sense, a determining aspect to promote the development of territories and the improvement of personal and social well-being is social capital, understood as a personal, community and territorial asset of an intangible nature, necessary for psychological, emotional, economic well-being for (individual and collective) and territorial development, which is formed from social interaction, trust, empathy and behavioural actions including norms, values, and socio-economic aspects. In this doctoral thesis, starting from the development of a theoretical framework on social capital and its impact on territorial development, a detailed analysis has been applied to the department of Meta -Colombia-, a territory that is identified with a series of particularities that make it have a complex territorial dynamic, of which we can highlight, among others, violence, linked to the armed conflict; the drug trafficking business (illicit crops); the exploitation of natural resources; uncontrolled population growth; population migration; forced displacement; multiculturalism and a marked socio-economic inequality in the territorial and population context. All of this has a significant influence on the generation and consolidation of social capital and its impact on the territory. In view of this situation, this research, after carrying out a territorial diagnosis of Meta and specifically of its social capital, has developed an improvement proposal for the promotion of social capital, addressing the weaknesses and deficiencies raised in the problem tree designed in this regard. Accordingly, within the literature on social capital, different aspects have been identified that could strengthen the construction of relationships of trust, reciprocity, cooperation, social norms and collective action, powerful tools that have an impact on social capital and, therefore, on the socio-economic conditions of the territory and its development. Aligned with the above, this research has a general objective of designing proposals for strategic lines to strengthen the contribution of social capital to territorial development in the Meta department. This contributes to improving the socio-economic conditions of territorial agents by promoting their integration through the analysis of social capital as a developmental element. To achieve this objective, specific goals have been established: - Develop, based on a review of the existing literature and the most significant previous works, a concept of social capital, through a series of explanatory variables, as well as its relationship with territorial development. - Conduct a socio-economic diagnosis of the department of Meta. - Identify and determine the social capital in the territory under study, according to the variables that define it in this work, grouped in the structural and cognitive categories. - Define the main debility and potential of the territory in terms of the development of social capital and its contribution to territorial development. - To formulate proposals for improving social capital in order to make a significant contribution to territorial development. In response to the above objectives, the following hypotheses have been put forward: - The level of social capital in the territory is low, mainly due to low trust, horizontal relationships, social participation, and mobility of territorial actors related to it. - There is a direct relationship between the level of social capital and territorial development in the department of Meta. - Strengthening social capital can lead to the development of strategic lines that address the territory's weaknesses. - Improving social capital's contribution to territorial development requires the participation of different socio- economic actors and the implementation of actions that align territorial measures with broader policies. In order to achieve the objectives and validate the hypotheses proposed in the doctoral thesis, a descriptive exploratory analysis was conducted, starting with a review of the scientific literature on social capital, its conceptualization, and its connection to the process of territorial development. Due to the scarcity of previous studies on the topic in the study territory and the limited state of databases and information sources within it, a measurement of social capital was carried out. For this purpose, a measurement instrument was constructed, considering various indices, studies, and proposals aimed at measuring social capital, from which a set of indicators linked to its identification were extracted. In the selection of these indicators, those oriented to the identification of social capital at the levels of action -bridging and linking- were used, with the purpose of determining how social capital acts within the community and territorial context. To process the collected information, statistical methods such as Social Network Analysis (SNA), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and inferential analysis with the application of the t-test procedure were used, as they were considered the most suitable for working with the data gathered in this research and identifying social capital in the Meta department and within the territorial development groups established in this territory. Based on the conducted analysis, it can be concluded that the inhabitants of the territory have low levels of social capital, primarily due to a lack of trust in government institutions and people outside their immediate environment. It is also evident that there is limited participation in social and governmental organisations, as well as low involvement in democratic and social representation activities, which is considered influential in the socio-economic conditions faced by the territory. Additionally, it was identified that among the municipalities in the Meta department, there is a slight difference in the concentration of territorial social capital, where municipalities with lower degrees of development have better social connections, higher levels of institutional and organisational cooperation, as well as territorial cooperation networks, social integration, and security. This difference is explained by the exponential growth of population displacement, increased urban violence, lack of public sector coverage of needs, social order problems, and other economic and social factors in municipalities with higher degrees of development. Consequently, the integration of different territorial actors is necessary to implement integrated actions in planning processes aimed at improving social capital and, in turn, the socio-economic conditions of the population in the Meta department, to advance personal, social, and territorial development. All of the above is proposed, taking into account that social capital is a factor that contributes to the subjective and objective well-being of the population, becoming a determinant of territorial development. Among the most outstanding contributions from the development of the research and the obtaining of results, the following can be highlighted, underlining the achievement of the objectives established at the beginning of the work: - Systematisation of the scientific literature on the main aspects linked to social capital and territorial development. - Definition of the concept of social capital, within the academic and professional context and its role in territorial development. - Conducting a socio-economic diagnosis of the Meta Department, establishing its positioning in relation to other departments as a natural region and as part of the Administrative and Special Planning Region (RAPE) and Orinoquia. - Identification of the composition and structure of social capital in the department of Meta. - Determination that the level of development of a specific territory is influential in the concentration of social capital and vice versa. - Development of a methodological proposal for the generation and increase of social capital, as a contribution to enhance the processes of territorial endogenization and the formulation of public policies, in terms of socio- economic inequalities, poverty, social welfare, security and environmental sustainability. With the development of this work, based on the obtained results, analyses, and scope, new lines of research related to social capital and territorial development can be proposed. This involves delving into parameters and indicators for the quantitative and qualitative measurement of social capital, establishing new lines of action, and extending its application to other territories.