Constituting Social Capital and Collective Action

Abstract

"Ignoring the impact on a form of social capital--the rules used in farmer-organized irrigation systems--of changes in physical capital can lead to the unintended consequences that the physical capital is not as productive as intended. Analysis focuses on the choice of rules made by farmers in symmetric and asymmetric situations. Using this analysis, it is possible to illustrate why many donor-funded improvements in physical capital have had counterproductive impacts."