Diana Marcela Ampudia Sjogreen's Graduate Defense Seminar

Diana Marcela Ampudia Sjogreen, MS Candidate in Rural Sociology, will present "We used to...":  The Decline of Social Capital on Providencia Island, Colombia as her Graduate Defense Seminar in 333C Kottman Hall.

Providencia Island is a paradise with an interesting culture, beautiful people, and lovely memories of collaboration and communityness, but farmers today are having difficulty joining forces, even though they need to do so. This study draws from historical evidence, local leaders’ perspectives, and theories of social capital to explain the decline in collaboration among the farmers of Providencia and to assess the possibilities of reclaiming this important asset for the social and economic development of the Island. After analyzing the sociological literature relevant to this case study, I conclude that structural forces and a decline in social capital have affected the islanders’ abilities to collectively address community problems. These findings contribute to a sociological understanding of the challenges that collective action confronts in Providencia due to its particular characteristics.