Thesis
Network ties in a pastoralist society: social connectivity inequalities
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2016
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/103078
Abstract
Throughout the world millions of individuals rely on self-sufficient subsistence livelihoods including small-scale agricultural and pastoral practices. Despite its broad presence, this traditional lifestyle is highly precarious. In order to avoid setbacks, individuals in these settings rely heavily on informal sources of insurance including the exchange of gifts, labor, food, and livestock. These strategies suggest that mapping the patterns of social network ties within such societies provides insight into the social processes perpetuating certain livelihood inequalities. A common theme arising from research on subsistence societies is the importance of social capital. Drawing on social network data from a specific case, a Maasai village in Tanzania, I elucidate the social patterns of local villagers which, in turn, may foster unequal access to social capital. To explore a relatively unstudied area in sociology, the main focus of this study is on social context. Most network studies focus on either network structure or form. While I consider these aspects of networks, the goal here is to understand the contextual setting in which individuals interact. Using original data collected in a rural Tanzanian village, I analyze the network connections of Maasai individuals, both at the dyadic tie level and network level, in order to identify exposure to a variety of situations from which social capital may be derived. Ultimately, I find certain ascribed personal attributes and relationship characteristics offer some individuals advantages over others by providing them opportunities to obtain knowledge and resources that can be converted into personal gains.
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Details
- Title
- Network ties in a pastoralist society
- Creators
- Adam Ronald Roth
- Contributors
- Thomas Rotolo (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Sociology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525098501842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis