The End of Clientelism? Strong and Weak Networks in a Mexican Squatter Movement

This research demonstrates how individual and group behavior is shaped by the opportunities and constraints created by strong and weak social network ties. The political behavior of two factions in Solidaridad, a squatter settlement outside Oaxaca, Mexico, diverged dramatically after the victory of the PAN in local elections. Some residents, usually newer arrivals who had not participated in the founding of the neighborhood, defected from the PRI and its neighborhood organization to establish an independent organization of their own. Once they did so, they became more active in community affairs, attending regular assemblies, participating in community improvement projects, volunteering to petition local and state governments for services, and voting—usually for a party other than the PRI. Residents who remained loyal to the PRI formed their own clique and isolated themselves from the new organization, refusing to attend assemblies and participate in the weekly community activities, and generally limiting their political activity to voting for the PRI in local and national elections. I account for this divergence in political activity by showing how an individual's location in strong versus weak networks can restrict or expand their choice of action by making information about new political opportunities more or less available to them.