Incubadora universitária de empreendimentos econômicos solidários IUEES/UFCG e capital social: construindo caminhos para o desenvolvimento territorial

Abstract

In recent decades, mainly from the year 1990, the theoretical discussion about the issue of "development" has expanded the debate from new contours and elements, bringing to the midst of the discussion, indicators related to human conditions, quality of life and to the welfare of the populations, in counterpoint to the merely economic rationality, hitherto considered as a lever for growth and socioeconomic development of countries, regions or territories of smaller geographic extent. The effective participation of the population in community life, in political, economic and social spheres, is also taken into account in that new perspective of "development". This condition of participatory agent, active in the community life, suits with the concept of Social Capital, and with the concept of "territory built", where the territory is considered the stage of a social dynamic in which diverse actors interact with each other and with the environment, setting its own identity to each place. In the light of these categories, it is proposed to observe the actions of the University Incubator of Sympathetic Economic Enterprises IUEES/UFCG, as executor of university extension projects, with the purpose of analyzing if, or how, it has contributed to enhance the social capital and the territorial development in its field of expertise. To this end, two projects were considered for investigation: the first one is developed with a group of women pickers of solid waste from Mutirão Neighborhood, located on the west side of Campina Grande City State of Paraíba, dry region of the State; and the second project assists women's groups from four rural settlements, located in Sossêgo City State of Paraíba, Curimataú region, which are: São Luis, Santo Antônio, Padre Assis and Sombrio. The methodology used, according to the object of the research, is exploratory and descriptive, whereas the study refers to a space of multiple and diverse practices, allowing to recognize the phenomena and their causes. The primary data analysis is qualitative, obtained through semi-structured interviews, applied with social actors involved in the projects. The results of the survey, well presented, point to distinct forms of manifestation of social capital in the groups investigated, and also to the contribution of IUEES/UFCG, in the formation and expression of social capital in the communities served, indispensable condition for the territorial and human development.