"The Capital of the Poor": The Meaning of Social Capital for Internally Displaced Persons in Bogotá

Abstract

Internal displacement has been put forward in recent years as a pressing topic to development studies, not least because of the exacerbating conflicts in some Arabian and Sub-Saharan countries. Colombia exhibits the second largest number of internally displaced persons in the world, the vast majority of which have been displaced as a consequence of the low-intensity conflict the country is confronted with since more than six decades. At the same time, social capital – even though not a new concept – gained importance in development theories as a means of the poor and vulnerable to sustain themselves in the face of grave resource scarcity.

This research aims at putting these increasingly relevant topics in relation. It addresses the meaning of social capital for internally displaced persons in Bogotá and provides the explaining factors accounting for the same. Taking a network perspective of social capital, the research focuses on the following components: a) characterization of the IDP’ networks, b) the forms and features of social support, c) perceptions on social support implications, and d) the sense of belonging and self-identification of IDP.

For the realization of the research project, 66 questionnaires based on the Arizona Social Support Interview Schedule and 24 semi-structured interviews have been conducted in the main institution processing applications for governmental support in Bogotá. It is argued that social capital is of less importance for IDP in Bogotá, when compared to the beneficial potential of social capital revealed in earlier studies. This is mainly explained with the pronounced impact of inhibiting factors, which evolved as a consequence of the conflict and displacement, and continuously generate psychological barriers to bond and establish relationships. Moreover, discrimination and the lack of organization within IDP networks further inhibit a proper social involvement and an efficient utilization of social capital. This study therefore reveals that possibly positive impacts of social capital for IDP in Bogotá are still not exhausted to their full potential because of such factors. Counteracting those would presumably allow for an increased emergence of social capital and a more efficient utilization of the same.