The World of Reciprocity: Forms of Social Capital among the Indigenous Totonacs of the Sierra Norte de Puebla

Abstract

The aim was to explore social capital in the Totonac ethnic group with the idea of identifying its sources and proposing how social capital is perceived and understood from a different centre of knowledge than the Western one. Methodologically, the study was based on a qualitative approach using the following research techniques: semi-structured interview and ethnographic work from a participant observation perspective. The results allowed us to observe, at least in the Totonac culture, changes in the way of understanding and practicing some relationships, including reciprocity, which in the study were approached from two analytical axes, namely, from the interpersonal relationships of the Totonacs and from the relationships with nature. We can conclude that from the Totonac culture, the perception and operation of social capital responds to a different logic. We can confirm this from the experiences narrated by the Totonac group of the Sierra Norte de Puebla, who from their cosmovision possess a social dynamic where reciprocity unfolds in their different social practices and acquires meaning from their roots, nuanced through their own cultural expressions and manifestations. Finally, a research agenda is proposed to explore social capital in the rest of the native cultures.

Reciprocity and Social Capital for Sustainable Rural Development

“…Social interaction that successfully combines individual and collective aspirations intending to develop tourist destinations is the foundation upon which the social capital of the inhabitants of Plosorejo Village and Kampung Coklat Tourism is built. As a result, cooperation has made the issue of shared interest for all parties involved; this action promotes reciprocity, which catalyses social cohesion [80]. However, the findings of this study differ from those of earlier studies, which claim that reciprocity and social capital are significantly correlated [64].…”