Landscapes of survival and escape: social networking and urban livelihoods in Ghana

Abstract

The interactions that take place between individuals, and the reciprocity networks and trust that people negotiate daily, are important assets that reduce socioeconomic vulnerability and increase opportunities. However, the pressures of economic change can exert opposing forces on social capital--strengthening it, as reciprocity networks are increasingly called into play, and eroding it, as households’ ability to cope deteriorates and trust breaks down. Drawing on the above, I examine the complex ways in which individuals in Koforidua, Ghana network for resources, identity, and space by using their social interactions. I focus specifically on how networks are employed as assets to guard against and alleviate the hardships of a changing socioeconomic landscape. Network interactions are explored through four key lenses: (a) household, kin, and neighborhood ties; (b) alumni ties; (c) occupational ties; and (d) religious associations. I conclude that the ongoing networks, symbolizing different scales of social space, are what guide individuals to appropriate forums. They make survival possible. They also encapsulate and communicate identity.