A colonização alemã no Rio Grande do Sul e o capital social.

Abstract

The following paper seeks to verify evidences of the existence,in the past, of social capital in regions formerly settled by germans throughout Rio Grande do Sul,Brazil, as well as how the stock of social capital in these areas has corroborated in their early development.The key methodological underpinning is that of social capital itself and Robert Putnam is the most influential theoretician for our research. As of the elaboration of a synthesis about the german settlement in RS, we argue that in colonial areas, both intricate formal and informal networks, intermingled, have originated a meaningful stock of social capital which, although uncountable, besides other issues, contributed for the economical and social development of the population of those areas. The “forced nationalization”, enforced by gaucha authorities during the period of the “Estado Novo” (New State),is listed as one of the causes for the expenditure of the social capital of communities in colonial regions of Rio Grande do Sul.