When religion meets development : Christian faith-based organizations and social capital in Haiti

Abstract

Until recently, the intersection between religion and development has been widely neglected in international development studies resulting in a need for further research on how the two are related. This thesis illuminates some aspects of this relationship by examining Christian faith-based organizations (CFBOs), as a type of religious group, and their involvement in the formation of social capital, as a form of development. To investigate the role of CFBOs in social capital formation and for an empirical focus I conduct research using secondary sources as well as a case study on Christian Aid, one CFBO working in Haiti. I carry out a thematic analysis on the data using the bonding-bridging-linking conceptualization of social capital (Gilchrist 2004). The research demonstrates that Christian Aid and CFBOs in general contribute to social capital formation in many ways, with their strongest impact being the creation of linking social capital as well as the enhancement of resources within existing social connections. My main argument is that all development-oriented groups, whether faith-based or secular, can work best if they partner with one another based on their common ground because they can take advantage of the many resources available in a wide range of social networks.