Objective

To evaluate the influence of social capital on the local development processes of two municipalities of Matanzas.

Materials and Methods

Social capital constituted the inquiry scope and was evaluated through a survey that comprised five aspects: associativity, confidence, participation, access to information and economic independence. For the work focal groups were formed, with 10 inhabitants, which belong to the 10 settlements of higher population concentration in two municipalities of Matanzas province, for a total of 100 surveyed people. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics using frequency histograms. In addition, the study variables were correlated. All the analyses were carried out with the statistical package InfoStat®, version 1.1.

Results

To execute their personal goals, in 80 % of the people’s councils the population only trusts their relatives and friends, as warrant of their development and their family’s development. In 50 % of the councils, people perceive that, although they are informed and consulted, they rarely participate in decision-making. In six from the 10 councils with which the work was conducted, the citizens consider that the government establishes ways so that there is permanent access to updated, sufficient and pertinent information for the work they perform.

Conclusions

In the studied scenarios, social capital constitutes a key element as resource for development. In turn, it supports interpersonal and organizational interactions, and allows to understand that such capital is a product of the system of economic, political, cultural and institutional relations of the territory.

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