Do Networks Help People To Manage Poverty? Perspectives from the Field

Lubbers, Miranda J.; Small, Mario Luis; García, Hugo Valenzuela

doi:10.1177/0002716220923959

Cited by 79 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 82 publications

(85 reference statements)

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“…Further, in the context of an economic recession, changing family structures, and an erosion of welfare states, she questioned whether the poor still benefited from support networks (cf. Roschelle 1997; see also the introduction to this volume by Lubbers, Valenzuela, and Small) and suggested a change in focus from the “resources of poverty” to the “poverty of resources” (González de la Rocha 2001). In line with her suggestion, various studies have shown the relative isolation and network poverty of low-income individuals (e.g., Menjívar 2000; Offer 2012).…”

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confidence: 99%

Relationships Stretched Thin: Social Support Mobilization in Poverty

Lubbers¹,

García²,

Castaño³

et al. 2020

The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Scie

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Research on how the poor “make ends meet” typically shows that they are able to do so by relying on dense support networks of family and close friends. Recent research suggests, however, that these networks play a limited role. This article examines the role of informal networks in how sixty-one households in Barcelona, Spain, cope with poverty. We use a mixed-methods design that combines structured network delineation with semistructured interviews about the processes of support mobilization. Findings show a great variation in network size and resource capacity among households and in the kinds of ties that offer support. Social support was regarded as essential among members of poor households, but mobilized networks were often insufficient for covering even the most basic needs, and prolonged network mobilization could cause strain and long-term conflict. This analysis suggests that support networks may help people to cope with income volatility while simultaneously increasing the potential for social exclusion and isolation.

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confidence: 99%

Relationships Stretched Thin: Social Support Mobilization in Poverty

Lubbers¹,

García²,

Castaño³

et al. 2020

The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Scie

Self Cite

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show abstract

“…In this respecting, Lubbers et al. (2020) seems particularly interesting in providing answers to how these processes emerge into poverty trajectories. ‘Do networks help people manage poverty?’ The answer is complex.…”

Section: From ‘Linked’ To ‘Networked Lives’: Ties Formation Activatimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, in the context of marginalization, Lubbers et al. (2020) argue that family ties tend to become an additional source of vulnerability, rather than a safety net. Helping people facing difficult times implies major engagement and research shows that under certain circumstances weaker connections may be even more supportive than relatives (Small, 2017).…”

Section: From ‘Linked’ To ‘Networked Lives’: Ties Formation Activatimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While macro and micro explanations have received significant attention when studying vulnerabilities, in the context of poverty few studies have focused on the explanatory power of meso‐level forces such as personal networks. This limited attention ‘is surprising, since poverty is profoundly relational in the sense that it is lived, managed, negotiated, and reproduced in relationships with others’ (Lubbers et al., 2020, p. 8). While transitivity and homophily explain inequalities in accessing social capital among disadvantaged groups, it seems that vulnerability during life trajectories can be also increased by issues of social capital activation.…”

Section: From ‘Linked’ To ‘Networked Lives’: Ties Formation Activatimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the second section, we develop these arguments further by addressing more specific processes of interest from a longitudinal perspective (Bidart, Degenne & Grossetti, 2011, 2020; Lazega & Jourda, 2016; Lubbers, Small, & Garcia, 2020; Marin & Hampton, 2019; Settersten, 2015, 2018). Many questions must be answered if network and life‐course researchers are to make their perspectives converge.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Networked lives

Vacchiano

Spini

2021

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Social network analysis has grown tremendously across a wide range of disciplines and is now regarded as a road‐map in strengthening links with the life‐course perspective. ‘Linked lives’ is often cited as a key principle of life‐course theory, but there is still much to be learned about the significance of these links for the life course. Network theory refines our understanding of the properties of these links, their emergence as structures in daily life, and the mechanisms underlying the inequalities that arise from social relationships. This paper clarifies why networks can be conceptualised as meso‐level structures that bridge the micro‐macro gap. It thus addresses four processes of particular interest for the integration of life‐course and network research: (a) the problem of tie formation; (b) the activation of ties as social capital; (c) their resilience through segments of a life course; and finally, (d) the problem of their loss. In so doing, we highlight innovative approaches for each of these issues in order to propose a research agenda we call ‘Networked Lives’, which emphasises promising avenues for advancing the integration of these two important fields in the social sciences.

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Soziales Kapital

Roth

2023

Netzwerkforschung

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Do Networks Help People To Manage Poverty? Perspectives from the Field

Cited by 79 publications

References 82 publications

Relationships Stretched Thin: Social Support Mobilization in Poverty

Relationships Stretched Thin: Social Support Mobilization in Poverty

Networked lives

Soziales Kapital

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