¶ … Social capital refers to those aspects that promote cooperation and therefore improve the community. Communities with significant amounts of social capital are more capable of meeting their individual and community needs. Community development on a global level has been defined in numerous ways (Dominelli, 2011). International community development may be described as both a process and a goal. The initiators of development efforts can be local community leaders, local government, or other players on the international scene, including other governments and non-profits (Brown & Hannis, 2007). One goal of international development is to facilitate the community's ability to meet its basic human needs. Yet, before this can reasonably take place collectively, individual households must have moved beyond basic survival mode. Most marginalized rural and urban communities in developing countries struggle to meet the most rudimentary basic needs of food, shelter, clothing and minimal material goods to sustain life. Few community members will be involved in community...

And all have the potential for being brought to the community table as social capital. However, as will all other forms of capital, there must be a perceived surplus before individuals are prepared to invest this capital in external endeavors. If people believe that all their individual capital must be invested in the struggle to meet their elemental needs, minimal investment will be made in voluntary communal activity (Brown & Hannis, 2007).
In order to evaluate the social capital of the residents of Villa El Salvador it is important to first look to see if their basic human needs are being met. If they are then the potential for them to express social capital will be higher and then can be looked at. In a study done by Lough, McBride, Sherraden & O'Hara (2011) interviews were done with volunteers in an organization that was working with residents of…