Social Capital in Rural Indigenous Women’s Collective Entrepreneurship: Implications for Sustainable Development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55965/setp.6.12.a3Keywords:
Social capital, Women’s entrepreneurship, Indigenous womenAbstract
Context. Indigenous Maya women in rural communities in southern Yucatán, Mexico, develop collective enterprises under social, family, and territorial conditions that constrain their sustainability.
Problem. Social relationships facilitate access to resources, but their utilization depends on context. The research question is: How do the dimensions of social capital interact to support the continuity of collective enterprises led by rural Indigenous Maya women?
Purpose. To analyze the dimensions of social capital from a gender perspective in three collective enterprise groups composed of rural Indigenous Maya women.
Methodology. A qualitative, interpretive, multiple-case study was conducted. Between November 2025 and March 2026, thirteen participants were interviewed. Data were analyzed using ATLAS.ti through triangulation, cross-case comparison, reflexivity, and analytical traceability.
Theoretical and Practical Findings. Four dimensions of social capital were identified: structural, relational, cognitive, and contextual. Networks facilitated access to markets and resources, while trust, cooperation, and shared knowledge supported continuity. The contextual dimension revealed how gender, family dynamics, and territorial conditions constrain the use of resources. In one group, the shift from direct sales to a renewable contract can be interpreted as a business process innovation in marketing, in accordance with the Oslo Manual.
Originality. Integrating multiple perspectives provides a multidisciplinary and context-sensitive understanding of collective entrepreneurship among rural Indigenous women. The findings relate to SDGs 5, 8, and 10 by addressing women's economic participation, enterprise continuity, and inequalities in access to opportunities.
Conclusions and limitations. Social capital strengthens collective capacities and enterprise continuity, although it does not eliminate structural inequalities. Future studies could test the model in other territories and longitudinally examine its relationship with collective capacities and innovation.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ana Laura Bojórquez Carrillo, Anel Flores Novelo, Monserrat Vargas Jiménez
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