Tourism and social capital: a theoretical and conceptual approach

The changes in the mode of production in the twentieth century led man to change their way of life. Thus, the capital found another form of economic exploitation, tourism. This paper analyzes the tourism relating to the social capital, based on Putnam (2000) and parallel literature searches of authors who analyze the issue. Such an object of research is in its begin, shows wide field of research, valuing the social capital as a strategic for the social development. We analyzed communities of Ceara, mainly the Prainha do Canto Verde Beberibe - CE. It is possible to envisage the possibility of an alternative tourism, which opposes the predatory exploitation commonly practiced in many tourist destinations, particularly in the Brazil Northeast.