OVERCOMING THE LIABILITY OF POORNESS: SOCIAL CAPITAL RESOURCES OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS IN INDIA

Abstract

This paper seeks to use social capital theory to explain how impoverished women may find success and lift themselves out of poverty. The research addresses three unique, significant areas of study. First, by reviewing relevant theory and research on livelihood creation and social networks, a new lens for examining social capital in the context of poverty is provided. Second, a model is tested examining the role of an entrepreneur’s social capital resources on the development of their own livelihood creation and the consequential changes in the entrepreneur’s lifestyle. The research finds that weak social network ties are positively related to livelihood creation, with counter-intuitive results regarding lifestyle changes in response to the changes in livelihood creation. Third, the above model is applied to female entrepreneurs, utilizing a sample of women associated with SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association), a network broker and business incubator trade union working in impoverished communities in and around Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in India.