Transport, mobility and social capital in developing countries

The World Bank defines social capital as the institutions, relationships and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a society’s social interactions. Social capital is a multi-faceted concept that implies emotional attachments to relatives and friends as well as interactions between people. Existing studies of transport and its impact on the rural poor in developing countries focus largely on its role in the process of economic growth, by increasing the productive capacity and market accessibility of small-scale farmers through investment in infrastructure and transport services. Few researchers have investigated the role that transport plays in providing access to and maintenance of valuable social networks. Social capital provides a catalyst for sustainable mobility and service delivery in the absence of conventionally measured economic benefits. Without the social capital argument the reasons for maintaining rural transport infrastructure and services remain weak. Access to social capital networks requires mobility, and transport is the agency by which social capital networks are supported. Mobility is essential to the sustainability of social networks yet, to date, existing literature disregards the means by which people physically access social capital, whether through associations and community groups or simply maintaining rural–urban linkages with extended family members. This paper draws on empirical evidence from Kenya to review the relationship between transport mobility and social capital and its relevance for rural development. It examines the significance of transport in accounting for the extent of social interaction and the way that transport interventions enable the poor to access, and be included in, social capital networks.