A Tale of Two Cities and Many Villages: Urban Development and Social Networks in India

Abstract

I examine the relationship between urbanization, proximity to urban centers, and the size and structure of village social networks, using data from 66 villages in Karnataka, India. I find that urbanization (as measured by the intensity of nighttime lights) has a significant negative relationship with the network density for social and economic interactions. I also find evidence that urbanization is negatively correlated with the average clustering coefficient and support of networks for social, economic, and advice interactions. These findings suggest that urbanization may not only be linked to differences in the number of connections between community members, but also may have implications for the degree of transitivity in a network. When examining the relationship between proximity to urban centers and network statistics, I find some evidence that villages closer to metropolitan areas have lower levels of clustering and support. I also show that villages that are closer to Bangalore have lower levels of clustering and support, compared to Mysore. I argue that these results are most likely due to urban development and proximity creating more chances for individuals to interact with others outside of their immediate social circles.