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Export Oriented Industrialization, The State and Social Capital
Export Oriented Industrialization, The State and Social Capital
Export Oriented Industrialization, The State and Social Capital
James J. Biles
Department of Geography
Western Michigan University
October 24, 2002
Overview
• Background
• Social capital
• Social capital and maquiladora production
• Results of study
• Conclusions
Background
• Neo-liberal economic reforms
– Export-oriented industrialization
– Change in the role of the state
– Replace informal institutions with formal
institutions
• Maquiladora production in Yucatán
• Research questions
Social Capital
• Connections among individuals, social
networks and norms of reciprocity
• Bridging, linking and bonding social capital
• Potential benefits
• Social capital and geography
– Networks, accessibility, distance and
hierarchies
– Location of economic activity
Social Capital and Maquiladora Production
• Networks of social capital in maquiladoras
• Focus on one “link” in chain
– Maquiladora operators
• Uses of social capital
– State government
– Financial resources
– Suppliers
– Infrastructure
– Labor
Results of Study
• Necessary conditions
– Location, labor costs, and government support
• Economic factors
– Labor, infrastructure, government support
• Role of social capital
– Access to economic factors
• Differences in role of social capital
Conclusions
• Well-defined network of social capital
exists among maquiladora operators
• Network based on all three forms of social
capital
• Government plays an important role
– Necessary conditions
– Social capital
• Postscript (maquiladora closings)