PERANAN MODAL SOSIAL DALAM MEMPERKASAKAN EKONOMI KUMPULAN TOMPOQ TOPOH DI KAMPUNG ORANG ASLI (Role of Social Capital in Economic Empowerment of Tompoq Topoh Community at Orang Asli village)

Abstract

The Mah Meri tribe is one of the subgroups from Senoi ethnic of indigenous people or commonly called as Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia. A group of Mah Meri women weaver from Carey Island – the Tompoq Topoh, was established since 2005. These women have been empowered in over a decade to provide for their families. Employing a qualitative approach, this study explored some of the elements of social capital that have been discussed by Pierre Bourdieu, James Coleman and Robert Putnam. The study results shows that three significant elements in social capital such as leadership, sense of belonging and social networks, emerged as contributors in the economic empowerment amongst the Mah Meri women weavers of Tompoq Topoh.