Community and recognition in economic relations

Abstract

Poverty reduction requires social efforts in several fields, such as those related to public policies, income generation and mobilization of social resources. Building diagnostics and interventions aiming at poverty reduction also requires the collaboration of different knowledge on society, particularly on public administration, social psychology and finances. This research aims at investigating how the community contributes in its social, organizational and economical aspects for making feasible and impacting productive microcredit programs, with particular attention to consequences related to poverty reduction and social inclusion. Discussion groups, closed and semi-structured interviews were conducted with women living in a slum in Sao Paulo. Results indicate that, in order to use a productive microcredit, it is possible to consider the social capital as guarantee, but the ability to use it involves complex mediations between capital, relational fragility and struggle for recognition.