Caring for the Commons: Community Forest Management and Creation of Social Capital

Caring for the Commons: Community Forest Management and Creation of Social Capital explores the interconnection between community management of forest resources and social capital in four tribal and four non-tribal communities in Odisha, India. The book traces the evolution of the idea of social capital through the works of theorists such as Charles Darwin, Adam Smith, Pierre Bourdieu, Robert Putnam and Elinor Ostrom. It is then studied in conjunction with the problem of governing Common-Pool Resources (CPRs) through the case studies of the eight forest villages of Odisha and their preservation efforts through Community Forest Management (CFM) practices. By linking Community Forest Management to social capital, this book highlights the creation of a virtuous cycle that can address the twin problems of the present era—the rapid depletion of forest resources and the fraying community bonds in rural areas.