Social Participation and Rural/Vulnerable Communities: Does Asset Ownership Matter?

Based on a comprehensive review of the relevant literature, this paper examines the impact of asset ownership on meaningful and participatory social inclusion. The paper first, presents an overview of the assets-based perspective of welfare and highlight factors that have shaped this perspective with an overview of rural communities and their relationship to these issues. Next, the paper reviews the potential effects of asset ownership and how this may impact social inclusion in rural areas.