Abstract
This dissertation aims to highlight the connections between entrepreneurship, social capital, and gender politics through a close reading of Niketche: Uma História de Poligamia (2002), a novel by the Mozambican writer Paulina Chiziane that addresses women's dynamic interactions in the social and economic sphere as a tool to overcome gender inequality. I argue that the relationship of trust that emerges between the protagonist Rami-the legal wife of Tony, a police officer-and Tony's concubines stimulates a cohesive environment that leads these women to engage in creating their enterprises and achieving economic independence. Thus, the novel proposes a valuable model for women's social, economic, and political empowerment in Mozambique, a country with a deep-rooted history of gender inequality extending from tradition, rituals, and culture. I first argue that the prospect of economic ventures through entrepreneurial activities and consequent empowerment of the female characters in Niketche is positively correlated with their ability to develop and capture external resources, such as capital, and intangible resources, such as information, encouragement and knowledge in order to start up their small businesses. Also, this ability is created through the dynamic of their relationship established between Rami and the concubines, elevating Rami to the position of moderator. Secondly, I defend that through a close examination of these small-scale female entrepreneurs, the novel allows the reader to conclude that there is a highly positive correlation between entrepreneurship, social capital and women's empowerment, which results in their sociopolitical and economic inclusion in their community. The more these women get involved in entrepreneurial activities with the use of social capital, which enables them to trust each other and work together, the more empowered they become, narrowing the gender gap and promoting full inclusion. To describe this dynamic relationship in which in-group members with similar needs and aspirations exhibit familiarity that increases the trust and is proven to be a pre-condition for entrepreneurship, I argue that the interpersonal relationships individuals develop are, much like financial wealth, a resource for personal outcomes, such as entrepreneurial endeavors, which inspire, motivate and uplift low-income individuals from poverty and oppression. This form of social capital works like a bank while simultaneously providing access to trusted networks for members/customers that offer emotional, informational, and companionable support that is both tangible and intangible. It can also improve risk sharing, which can unlock and increase the amount of support one needs to build or expand their small business. In relation to Chiziane's novel, I am suggesting that the relationship developed among the female characters, based on the principles of social capital, can be understood as an empowerment model for women, which can be implemented to reduce inequality and lead to full citizenship of women in developing countries such as Mozambique. Besides its situated objective, as defined by the fictionalization of networked female entrepreneurship in Chiziane's novel, this dissertation contributes also to the further development and application of the theories of both entrepreneurship and social capital, thereby supporting the relationship between entrepreneurship, social capital, and women's empowerment.