The effects of exposure to violence on social network composition and formation...

"The effects of exposure to violence on social network composition and formation: Evidence from IDP camps in Myanmar" Daniel Thomas (Columbia University)

Abstract:

"How does exposure to violence affect the composition of civilian social networks during wartime? I argue that violence can have direct and indirect effects on social networks: it directly shapes networks through killing and displacing civilians in pre-existing networks. The direct effect should decrease the size of victims’ networks. Indirectly, it shapes the incentives and the ability of victims to engage in the formation of new links. While trauma might reduce the ability of victims to form new ties, incentives to protect themselves from future shocks could make them more social. I employ original survey data from IDP camps in Kachin State, Myanmar, an area of active civil conflict, to establish evidence for these effects. First, I show that social networks are valuable for camp members. I then show evidence that exposure to violence reduces IDPs’ social ties, and that it works primarily through a direct effect: victims of violence are less likely to have ties in their camp’s network of close ties, and in a network consisting only of people they knew before. However, violence does not effect the formation of ties with new social contacts. Investigation of the mechanisms underlying these findings suggests that trauma due to exposure to violence inhibits the ability of IDPs to form close ties."

Discussants:

Jenn Larson (Vanderbilt University)

Zoe Marks (Harvard University)

Michael Rubin (University of Connecticut)

OPSC Coordinator:

Cassy Dorff (Vanderbilt University)