Expanding Horizons: can women's support groups diversify peer networks in rural India?

摘要

In this paper, primary data on women's peer networks in Uttarakhand, India are used to determine whether participants in a community-level women's empowerment program (Mahila Samakhya) have more diversified peer networks. The study finds that Mahila Samakhya was able to diversify social networks, as measured by having friends outside one's caste. Thus, there is evidence that policy-makers can harness network-based learning to change social norms. The results also speak to the use of caste and extended family to proxy for social networks, and may raise concerns about bias if caste or family networks are used as proxies to measure the effect of a treatment that may itself affect the diversity of networks. While using caste and extended family may be completely appropriate in rural, conservative settings, if the treatment being measured might affect network diversity, a rigid proxy for network connections may bias the effect of the network on the outcome.