The doctoral thesis starts from the need to (re) conceptualize the analytical framework in which to approach the study of new rural dynamics. To this end, the contributions of the New Economic Sociology, useful for a complementary approach to the study of territorial processes, are explored. The state of the art is defined by the combination of two approaches, on the one hand, rural studies, with attention to the contributions of territorial development. On the other, the social capital approach, with attention to its contribution to the study of such local and territorial development processes. The core hypothesis of research is based on the expected effects on the stock of social capital coming from the combination of, on the one hand, the processes of socioeconomic development in which many of the disadvantaged areas of our country have been immersed and, on the other hand, from the growing coordination between actors, for example within or in relation to the LEADER local action groups.
Author/a: Javier Esparcia Pérez
Supervisor: Carlos Lozares and José Luis Molina
Date of thesis defense: 20/09/2017
