ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on a range of different forms of social institutions that commonly shape economic life in West Africa. It reviews some of the forms of collective action that are characteristically found in the region today. The chapter considers how forms of collective action can be conceptualised and examines the usefulness of the term social capital in this context. In the economic sphere, social capital is seen to have much potential to reduce the transaction costs associated with formal co-ordination mechanisms like contracts and bureaucratic rules. In contexts like southern Ghana, where people have to survive in highly risky and vulnerable environments, it is important to understand how they can improve their economic well-being through stabilising or increasing their income and increasing their access to key resources. The forms of civil society that have an impact on people's lives range from forms of bilateral linkages, through community groups, to larger scale organisations.
