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Gender and Social Capital Mediated Technology Adoption

OAR@ICRISAT

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Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/3036/
ISE 012
 
Title Gender and Social Capital Mediated Technology Adoption
 
Creator Padmaja, R
Bantilan, M C S
Parthasarathy, D
Gandhi, B V J
 
Subject Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics
 
Description This study explores gender-differentiated benefits from the social capital buildup
in technology uptake, and the decision-making patterns of men and women
with respect to production, consumption and household tasks; and allocation of
resources. The background research examined women’s role in developing social
capital, and research developed a case study of the groundnut producing areas
of Maharashtra in western India, and compared ‘with’ and ‘without’ technology
situations, and ‘before’ and ‘after’ situations in relation to the package of groundnut
production technology introduced in the region in 1987. The paper addresses
three aspects: (1) social networks in technology adoption, (2) the gender-based
activity pattern, and (3) build-up of social capital leading to improvements in the
welfare of farmers and the farming community with a gender perspective.
Available evidence suggests substantial differences in networks of men and
women, particularly in composition. The evidence suggests that men belong to
more formal networks reflecting their employment or occupation status, while
women have more informal networks that are centered on family and kin. Findings
show that women who are engaged in agriculture and allied activities develop
bonding social capital characterized by strong bonds such as that found among
family members or among members of an ethnic group. Men who are engaged in
agriculture, on the other hand, develop bridging social capital characterized by
weaker, less dense but more crosscutting ties such as with farmers, acquaintances,
friends from different ethnic groups and friends of friends. Women’s employment
opportunities significantly improved with the introduction of technology. Finally,
the study concludes that while technology development and exchange can build
upon social capital as a means of empowering women, much more needs to be
learned about the approaches that foster build-up of social capital.
 
Publisher International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
 
Date 2006
 
Type Monograph
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Rights —
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/3036/1/Gender_and_social_capital_mediated_technology_adoption.pdf
Padmaja, R and Bantilan, M C S and Parthasarathy, D and Gandhi, B V J (2006) Gender and Social Capital Mediated Technology Adoption. Documentation. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics , Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India.