In this article, the authors argue that the recent proliferation of literature concerning social capital, particularly within the context of development theory, as the most important factor in understanding community needs is leading to a failure to critically consider how access and control of resources is "embedded within dynamic, historically developed power structures." Two case studies are used to illustrate how social structures and practices within communities reflect unequal power relations, and how research based on social capital may be misleading or have negative consequences in a community.