Mothers’ Social Networks and Socioeconomic Gradients of Isolation

Alison Andrew, Orazio Attanasio, Britta Augsburg, Jere Behrman, Monimalika Day, Pamela Jervis, Costas Meghir and Angus Phimister

Economic Development and Cultural Change, 2024, vol. 73, issue 1, 487 - 522

Abstract: Social connections are fundamental to human well-being. We examine the social networks of mothers of young children in rural Odisha, India. Gendered norms around marriage, mobility, and work likely shape this group’s opportunities to form and maintain ties. We track 2,170 mothers’ networks over 4 years and find a high degree of isolation. Wealthier women and women from more-advantaged castes and tribes have smaller networks than their less-advantaged peers, primarily because they know fewer women within their own socioeconomic group. There exists strong but symmetric homophily by socioeconomic group. Socioeconomic differences are associated with toilet ownership and labor force participation.

Date: 2024
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Related works:
Working Paper: Mothers' Social Networks and Socioeconomic Gradients of Isolation (2020)
Working Paper: Mothers’ Social Networks and Socioeconomic Gradients of Isolation (2020)
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