Escaping from Behavioural Poverty in Uganda. the Role of Culture and Social Capital

Approached from a socio-physiological perspective this study examines with reference to Africa the role of cultural and social capital in the efforts of individuals communities and other networks to overcome poverty and achieve a sustainable way of life. Moving beyond the familiar poverty indicators as from a conventional development-economics perspective the study contests that culture plays a major role in development as the psychological attitudes that determine human behavior and interaction are usually rooted in the cultural environment. It argues that socio-psychological individuals and their actions are the key to determining livelihoods and influencing communities; and that cultural and social capital - the shared values knowledge attitudes and expectations of a group or society - is vital for social cooperation and overall human-centered development.