Abstract
Social capital has been suggested as one of the central keys to long-term community recovery after disasters. The current study investigated the building and maintenance of linking social capital among Tamil refugees in Norway after a man-made crisis in their country of origin. The study draws on long-term qualitative ethnographic fieldwork among members of non-governmental organizations in Norway that supported the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Two cases occurring after the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka in 2009 are presented to suggest that theoretical conceptualizations of social capital face considerable shortcomings when examined in the light of complex empirical material. The study draws attention to the complex interplay between different types of social capital; the relevance of context and power; the crucial roles of individuals in relation to community linking social capital; and finally the dynamic nature of social capital. It is suggested that social capital may both facilitate and obstruct post-conflict diaspora recovery, depending on the specific cultural, social and political contexts.
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