For a long time, the concept of development was conditioned and restricted to economic growth.
However, in recent decades, there has been a change in perspective with the multiplication of
studies on the spatial distribution of development and the debate on the issue of human beings,
present and future, as the core of this process: sustainable regional development. Social capital
refers to social attributes, such as trust, norms, and systems, which contribute to the efficiency of
society and is pointed out by several researchers as one of the possible determinants of disparities
in levels of development between regions and a tool for achieving this. In this context, the objective
of this dissertation was to verify if the social capital, present in the Jalapão region, can be
considered as one of the influencing elements of the current level of development of the
municipalities. Therefore, a qualitative study was carried out based on bibliographical research,
documentary, and semi-structured interviews with key actors in the region listed in the Ecological
and Economic Zoning of the Government of Tocantins. The results show that there is a weakness
in social capital in the region, as trust between them has diminished in recent years, as well as their
interest in participating in government management and projects, while they themselves are little
organized to act collectively. However, the current state of social capital indicators in the region is
the result of years of fruitless and poorly guided projects, thus, it is still possible to include and
integrate the subjects of the region, expanding their economic and social opportunities.
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