Local Network Interaction as a Mechanism for Wealth Inequality.
Nat Commun
; 15(1): 5322, 2024 Jun 22.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38909070
ABSTRACT
Given limited institutional resources, low-income populations often rely on social networks to improve their socioeconomic outcomes. However, it remains in question whether small-scale social interactions could affect large-scale economic inequalities in under-resourced contexts. Here, we leverage population-level data from one of the poorest South African settings to construct a large-scale, geographically defined, inter-household social network. Using a multilevel network model, we show that having social ties in close geographic proximity is associated with stable household asset conditions, while geographically distant ties correlate to changes in asset allocation. Notably, we find that localised network interactions are associated with an increase in wealth inequality at the regional level, demonstrating how macro-level inequality may arise from micro-level social processes. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding complex social connections underpinning inter-household resource dynamics, and raise the potential of large-scale social assistance programs to reduce disparities in resource-ownership by accounting for local social constraints.
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Factores Socioeconómicos
/
Red Social
Límite:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
País/Región como asunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Nat Commun
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA
/
CIENCIA
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos