Social Networks in Ghana

Christopher Udry and Timothy Conley

Working Papers from Economic Growth Center, Yale University

Abstract: In this chapter we examine social networks among farmers in a developing country. We use detailed data on economic activities and social interactions between people living in four study villages in Ghana. It is clear that economic development in this region is being shaped by the networks of information, capital and influence that permeate these communities. This chapter explores the determinants of these important economic networks. We first describe the patterns of information, capital, labor and land transaction connections that are apparent in these villages. We then discuss the interconnections between the various economic networks. We relate the functional economic networks to more fundamental social relationships between people in a reduced form analysis. Finally, we propose an equilibrium model of multi-dimensional network formation that can provide a foundation for further data collection and empirical research.

Keywords: Endogenous Networks; Informal Credit; Social Learning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D85 O12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 34 pages
Date: 2004-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-agr, nep-dev, nep-net and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (26)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.econ.yale.edu/growth_pdf/cdp888.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Social Networks in Ghana (2004)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:egc:wpaper:888

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Working Papers from Economic Growth Center, Yale University Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Benjamin King ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).