Is Social Capital a Sociological Construct? an Ethnographic Enquiry of Sugalis from Andhra Pradesh, South India

Sugalis are a semi-nomadic group residing in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh and the Kolar and Bellary regions of Karnataka in south India. The present paper, based on a qualitative micro-level study by Sugalis, aims to understand the livelihood systems of marginalized communities and the interplay of political processes within this context. In sociological and developmental discourse, social capital refers to the institutions, relationships, and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a society’s social interactions. How is this articulation of social capital relevant to understanding Sugali society?

Sugalis have experienced various social, cultural, and economic systems/influences that have altered their traditional institutions. These further provided a way to analyze and address interlinking concepts and terms concerning traditions directly or indirectly related to Sugalis. The paper explores how the Sugalis construct their social capital in the changing nature of the developmental sphere. Liberalization and globalization paved the way for the emergence of the third sector as an agency in the developmental spheres and spaces of marginal groups. In contrast, earlier States used to play this role. Role of third sector in the development of marginal groups, such as Sugalis, is increasingly critical especially post liberalization and globalization both in India and in Asian countries in general. The paper attempts to engage with the response of the third sector in changing lives and providing basic minimum facilities to the Sugalis. How far has the construction of social capital helped them to come up socially, economically, politically, and otherwise in the village/society?