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.