Doctoral student Henry Lyle (University of Washington), supervised by Dr. Eric A. Smith and Dr. Donna Leonetti, will undertake research on the relationship among social networks, collective action, free-riding, and reputation. Free-riding in this context refers to shouldering less than one's fair share of the cost of production of a public good. This study will shed light on how cooperative behaviors of individuals are promoted locally, and how such behaviors may persist or be undermined by a variety of contextual factors.
The research will be carried out in highland Peru, an extreme environment that highlights the significance of cooperative behavior. The indigenous people of the Peruvian Andes have a long history of political and economic marginalization. This history combines with high altitude stressors, such as low ecosystem productivity, to make it difficult for families to assure a consistent and adequate supply of food and maintain good health. One important method of coping with variability in food intake and with episodes of illness or injury involves exchange networks among households. This research aims to better understand how one's standing in these critically important social networks is established and maintained; the role that social reputation (achieved from helping with community projects) plays in this process; and whether those who over-contribute (that is, help out with community projects even if others fail to do their part) do so because of later benefits.
The researcher will collect both qualitative and quantitative data through a variety of research methodologies, including: demographic censuses, semi-structured interviews, time allocation observations via focal scans, and participant observation in community tasks. Data also will be gathered on reputation for participating in community projects, time allocation to community projects, and inter-household exchanges of food, labor, and medical aid. Analyses will utilize multiple regression and social network analytical methods including exonential random graph models.
This research is important because cooperative behavior is an essential part of human adapative strategies. It is theoretically innovative in linking cutting edge analysis of social network dynamics with data on generosity and reputation. The project also has practicial applications to improving the functioning of communal undertakings, such as all-important irrigation and other resource management systems. Funding this research also supports the education of a graduate student.
This project, conducted by University of Washington Anthropology graduate student Henry Lyle, investigated social networks, group cooperation, reputation, and health in Andean communities of southern Peru. The indigenous herders of the Peruvian Andes are a politically weak group with a long history of economic marginalization. These factors, combined with the stressors of high altitude living, make it difficult for families to acquire a consistent and adequate supply of food and maintain good health. One strategy for coping with variability in nutrient intake and with episodes of illness or injury involves social support networks among households. Important yet under-investigated questions remain about such support networks in highland Peru and elsewhere, the following of which were approached in this research. How is membership in social networks established and maintained? What role does one’s social reputation (for example, as a generous or community-minded person) play in this process? How does reputation affect the size and quality of one’s social network? What are the health benefits (if any) of membership in support networks? Preliminary analyses indicate that those who have larger social networks (and receive more from their social networks) are healthier, consistent with research in many cultural and ecological contexts. A major goal of this research was to explore how people build and maintain their social networks. In the villages of Andean Peru, community-beneficial projects, such as community irrigation canals or caring for the community herds, play an important role in the sustainability of life and culture. While data analysis is still in process, initial results indicate that those who contribute more to community-beneficial projects have higher reputations. Additionally, high contributors to these community projects have larger support networks and receive more support within their networks. These findings offer new ways of understanding the role that social reputation (achieved from helping with community projects such as irrigation maintenance) plays in establishing and maintaining one’s social support network, which may in turn enhance health via aid from other households during illness episodes. An aim of this research was to help us better understand how cooperation is managed in the Andes, and how social reputation influences social network membership dynamics. This study provides insight on how individually costly cooperative behaviors are promoted locally, and how they persist or are undermined by various factors. This information is specific enough to aid in the development of supportive government policies. Further, herding and irrigation management are important issues in highland Peru, and a greater understanding of these practices are relevant to resource management policies in Peru and beyond.
