ABSTRACT
As discussed so far in this book, social change in the culture-centered approach is achieved through the participation of local actors in the processes of change, with local participation offering ontological entry points for transforming global knowledge configurations and concept structures (Basu & Dutta, 2009; Dutta-Bergman, 2004a, 2004b). It is through the commitment and active involvement of locally situated actors that agendas of social change are articulated, and actions are taken to bring about transformations in the structures constituting the lived experiences of community members (Basu & Dutta, 2008a, 2009; Dutta, 2007, 2008c, 2009). In other words, participation in the culture-centered approach offers the avenue through which local agendas are shaped and articulated, thus creating entry points of social change. In this chapter we examine the processes of participation, complexities in participation, and the tensions negotiated in participatory processes in the realm of social change. We will also engage with the concept of social capital,1 as this concept offers insights into community-based spaces of social change and the possibilities of structural transformation that are written into these processes.
