Relationships Stretched Thin : Social Support Mobilization in Poverty
Lubbers, Miranda J.. (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Antropologia Social i Cultural)
Valenzuela García, Hugo (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Antropologia Social i Cultural)
Escribano, Paula (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Antropologia Social i Cultural)
Molina, José Luis (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Antropologia Social i Cultural)
Casellas, Antònia (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Geografia)
Grau Rebollo, Jorge (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Antropologia Social i Cultural)

Date:	2020
Description:	24 pàg.
Abstract:	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.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Personal networks ; Social support ; Poverty ; Reciprocity ; Relational work ; Disposable ties
Published in:	Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 689 Núm. 1 (Mayo 2020) , p. 65-88, ISSN 1552-3349

DOI: 10.1177/0002716220911913

21 p, 1.7 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Social and Legal Sciences > Research Group on Fundamental and Oriented Anthropology (GRAFO)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles