Social Capital and Unseen Inequalities: The Case of Tourism Cluster Dialogue Forum (FRK- Forum Rembuk Klaster)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to seek how interpersonal relations among the group members are built and to what extent relations between members can bring certain possible inequalities in the long run for local community. It is a qualitative method employing a two-stage research design. The first was distributing questionnaires to gather data on the profile of the members. There were thirty respondents involved for fulfiling the questionnaires. Then, last but not least was in-depth interview aiming to get deeper information on how the members involved in the activity conducted by the local government. The interview was addressed to five active members of the forum. This study found that strong bonding social capital existed within the group and to some extent it could create unseen inequalities to other members of the group because it makes them have less access to experience offered opportunities from facilitating parties. The paper was limited to a rather small dialogue forum and focused on a few active members of the group. This was due to the strong ties happened among these active members. It is expected that local government should provide wider opportunities, especially by facilitating members of the group who have less access to benefit from resources, and ensure to improve their capacity to benefit from the available opportunities not only for certain people. This paper informs everyone interested in developing local community, especially local government or facilitator, that inequalities could happen even though the strong ties among members have existed. This inequality is not necessarily literally known by the disadvantage groups in the short run, but, in the long run, these group could be left behind.

Keywords: social capital, dialogue forum, tourism cluster, local development