Culture, actors and development in local community contexts

Abstract

In this work we argue that against the present popularity of the economic point or view on the analysis and implementation of local development projects and programmes, the sociological perspective is on the privileged position of offering theorical tracks of investigation that let us overtake the economicism and descriptivism which are usual features of a great deal of monographs on this topic. In order to do this we are applying to the analysis of the implementation of the Leader Programmes I and II in Galicia in the late nineties some methodological proposals, such as the strategic analysis and the network actor theories. This analysis will allow us to confirm that Crozier-Friedberg methodological perspective, which emphasises the actor´s strategic capability, may be completed both by Callon-Latour suggestions on the relevance of the group dimension of the action reflected on a network structure able to articulate the actors action, and by G. Vautrin, P. Teisserenc or M. Woolcock proposals which aim not to forget the cultural and social dimension on studying local development dynamics.