Sociological Aspects of Sustainable Development Perspectives in Central Lika Through the Prism of Human and Social Capital

This paper presents a sociological view of the perspectives for sustainable development in Central Lika (Croatia) through the prism of social and human capital. The modernization processes which bypassed the entire Lika region more than they changed it left the environment and rich natural resources intact. A natural environment in this condition meets the basic conditions for articulation of the concept of sustainable development. This paper is based on the “mixed” concepts of social and human capital and the sustainable development. The study focuses on the socioecological paradigm. The research data was collected by the empirical qualitative method (semi-structural interviews) during 2012 and 2013. The participants were local social actors involved in the development of Central Lika. The results facilitated insight into the existing condition, as well as the sociological conceptualization of sustainable development perspectives in Central Lika which could be achieved via: demographic recovery measures, enhancement of civil society, education of the local population, agriculture (integrated, followed by organic), sustainable use of renewable natural resources and tourism in synergy with agriculture, tradition and ecology.