The Marind Tribe’s Social Capital in Developing Cultivation of Paddyfield Rice in Merauke Regency, Papua, Indonesia

The focus of this study was to study the social capital possessed by the Marind Tribe in conducting a social relationship with facilitators as the source of information about paddyfield rice cultivation. This is to develop paddyfield rice based on the social capitals possessed by the Marind Tribe. This study was done in Merauke Regency which is a paddyfield rice production center in Papua Province. The respondents in this study were 120 Marind Tribe farmers who cultivate paddyfield rice in six districts in Merauke Regency. The data were collected through surveys and observations and were then analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. The results of the study showed that the social relationship built between the Marind Tribe and the facilitators as the source of information about paddyfield rice cultivation has not yet been able to maximize the potential in the social capital possessed by the Marind Tribe. The social relationship built was not fully based on mutual trust and the network of social interaction between the Marind Tribe and the facilitators even though the sago norm provided an opportunity for the Marind Tribe to learn about paddyfield rice. The output of the social relationship between the Marind Tribe and the facilitators as a source of information about paddyfield rice cultivation has not yet been able to create an improvement in knowledge, to make the attitude approving, to increase group ability in implementing cultivation components, and to increase paddyfield rice production in the Marind Tribe. Keywords: Social capital, trust, social network, social norms.