Empowerment through technology: Gender dimensions of social capital build-up in Maharashtra, India

This paper explores how and to what extent women and men have benefited from the build-up of social capital in technology uptake, and the role of women in this process. Using a case study on Groundnut Production Technology (GPT) in Maharashtra, India, a systematic documentation of the process by whi...

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Main Authors: Padmaja, Ravula, Bantilan, Cynthia
Format: Artículo preliminar
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2007
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/160162
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author Padmaja, Ravula
Bantilan, Cynthia
author_browse Bantilan, Cynthia
Padmaja, Ravula
author_facet Padmaja, Ravula
Bantilan, Cynthia
author_sort Padmaja, Ravula
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This paper explores how and to what extent women and men have benefited from the build-up of social capital in technology uptake, and the role of women in this process. Using a case study on Groundnut Production Technology (GPT) in Maharashtra, India, a systematic documentation of the process by which farmers – both men and women - as well as the whole community became empowered through the build-up of social capital is presented. The focus of the paper is on collective action as a mechanism to stimulate gender-equitable change processes. Our evidence suggests that the technology uptake process was enhanced with the build up of social capital, whereby men and women from all class and caste groups came together for improving their livelihoods. Collective action was enhanced with the increased involvement and participation of women. Strong kinship ties were developed among diverse classes all over the village including landless tribal women, who formed the major labor force for this technology. The paper concludes that social networks played a crucial mediating role in the process of technology uptake. The build-up of social capital played an important role in influencing impacts from the technology because of the ways in which social networks and social relationships facilitated technology dissemination. Gender relations played a significant role in mediating the translation of economic benefits into well being of the individual, the family and community. Finally, it is suggested that further insights into the role of social networks and power relations in the village may be examined in greater detail by establishing the village network architecture, especially marginalized groups.
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spelling CGSpace1601622025-11-06T07:14:59Z Empowerment through technology: Gender dimensions of social capital build-up in Maharashtra, India Padmaja, Ravula Bantilan, Cynthia empowerment technology adoption agricultural growth agricultural technology gender social capital social networks impact collective action women This paper explores how and to what extent women and men have benefited from the build-up of social capital in technology uptake, and the role of women in this process. Using a case study on Groundnut Production Technology (GPT) in Maharashtra, India, a systematic documentation of the process by which farmers – both men and women - as well as the whole community became empowered through the build-up of social capital is presented. The focus of the paper is on collective action as a mechanism to stimulate gender-equitable change processes. Our evidence suggests that the technology uptake process was enhanced with the build up of social capital, whereby men and women from all class and caste groups came together for improving their livelihoods. Collective action was enhanced with the increased involvement and participation of women. Strong kinship ties were developed among diverse classes all over the village including landless tribal women, who formed the major labor force for this technology. The paper concludes that social networks played a crucial mediating role in the process of technology uptake. The build-up of social capital played an important role in influencing impacts from the technology because of the ways in which social networks and social relationships facilitated technology dissemination. Gender relations played a significant role in mediating the translation of economic benefits into well being of the individual, the family and community. Finally, it is suggested that further insights into the role of social networks and power relations in the village may be examined in greater detail by establishing the village network architecture, especially marginalized groups. 2007 2024-11-21T09:50:10Z 2024-11-21T09:50:10Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/160162 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Padmaja, Ravula; Bantilan, Cynthia. Empowerment through technology: Gender dimensions of social capital build-up in Maharashtra, India. CAPRi working paper. 0063. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/CAPRiWP63.
spellingShingle empowerment
technology adoption
agricultural growth
agricultural technology
gender
social capital
social networks
impact
collective action
women
Padmaja, Ravula
Bantilan, Cynthia
Empowerment through technology: Gender dimensions of social capital build-up in Maharashtra, India
title Empowerment through technology: Gender dimensions of social capital build-up in Maharashtra, India
title_full Empowerment through technology: Gender dimensions of social capital build-up in Maharashtra, India
title_fullStr Empowerment through technology: Gender dimensions of social capital build-up in Maharashtra, India
title_full_unstemmed Empowerment through technology: Gender dimensions of social capital build-up in Maharashtra, India
title_short Empowerment through technology: Gender dimensions of social capital build-up in Maharashtra, India
title_sort empowerment through technology gender dimensions of social capital build up in maharashtra india
topic empowerment
technology adoption
agricultural growth
agricultural technology
gender
social capital
social networks
impact
collective action
women
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/160162
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