Changing Mutual Cooperation of Rural Households: Case Study of Social Capital in a Village in Northern Shan State, Myanmar

• Main Authors: RALPH RICHARD CHRISTIAN GUST-FRENGER, 彭樂福
• Other Authors: 陳佩修
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/nngc6w

碩士 === 國立暨南國際大學 === 東南亞學系 === 103 === During the last decade, and particularly after the political and economic reforms which started 2011, the economic development in Burma/Myanmar accelerated considera-bly. Particularly the trade with China has grown exponentially. This economic growth has also affected more remote regions of the country, like the Northern Shan State. The study analyses on the micro level the impact of these extremely fast and pro-found changes to the livelihood of farmers in Northern Shan State. One specific aspect, the available assets, or forms of capital, of the rural households and their role in achieving the livelihood of the households, is at the center of this research. The qualitative case-study is focusing on an exemplary village close to the main road connecting central Burma/Myanmar with China. The methods employed were in-depth in-terviews, focus group discussions, and direct observation. The main driver of the economic and social changes at the village level is presently the rapid spread of hybrid maize growing for cash-income. This profound monetization and modernization process, which pace and scope is unprecedented, has considerable effects on the assets of the rural households. Natural capital is diminishing or at risk. Material and fi-nancial capital are increasing. At the same time inequality on the household level is increas-ing. Cognitive social capital is still high, both on household and village level, but at risk, among other things through increased wealth disparity. Structural social capital is becoming more institutionalized, while traditional mutual labor exchange has been adapted to the commercializing agricultural system and is still an essential asset of local peasants for sus-taininig their participation in the modernization process.