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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Strong-Tie Social Connections Versus Weak-Tie Social Connections, Mark A. Rademacher, Kevin Y. Wang Jan 2014

Strong-Tie Social Connections Versus Weak-Tie Social Connections, Mark A. Rademacher, Kevin Y. Wang

Scholarship and Professional Work - Communication

Discussions regarding the strength of social ties relate to social capital theory. As Robert Putnam describes it, social capital theory suggests that social networks have value at the micro (individual), meso (community), and macro (societal) levels. An individual's social network is comprised of multiple, multiplex social ties of varying strengths. Strong ties exist among individuals connected within densely knit, homogenous networks such as those involving kin and close friends. Weak ties exist among individuals connected within sparse, heterogeneous networks such as those involving acquaintances.


Does Patronage Still Drive Politics For The Rural Poor In The Developing World? A Comparative Perspective From The Livestock Sector, David K. Leonard, Jennifer Brass, Michael Nelson, Sophal Ear, Dan Fahey, Tasha Fairfield, Martha Johnson Gning, Michael Halderman, Brendan Mcsherry, Devra Coren Moehler, Wilson Prichard, Robin L. Turner, Tuong Vu, Jeroen Dijkman Dec 2009

Does Patronage Still Drive Politics For The Rural Poor In The Developing World? A Comparative Perspective From The Livestock Sector, David K. Leonard, Jennifer Brass, Michael Nelson, Sophal Ear, Dan Fahey, Tasha Fairfield, Martha Johnson Gning, Michael Halderman, Brendan Mcsherry, Devra Coren Moehler, Wilson Prichard, Robin L. Turner, Tuong Vu, Jeroen Dijkman

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Is the analysis of patron–client networks still important to the understanding of developing country politics or has it now been overtaken by a focus on ‘social capital’? Drawing on seventeen country studies of the political environment for livestock policy in poor countries, this article concludes that although the nature of patronage has changed significantly, it remains highly relevant to the ways peasant interests are treated. Peasant populations were found either to have no clear connection to their political leaders or to be controlled by political clientage. Furthermore, communities ‘free’ of patron–client ties to the centre generally are not better represented …