Social networks as providers of social protection to urban migrants in Delhi

Abstract

Why are social networks necessary at the place of destination? What roles do they play as a form of “social capital” for newly arrived migrants in urban centers? These are some relevant questions that scholars in migration studies have explored, especially in the context of international migration, but significant gaps exist in the case of internal migration. Using the migration history of the head of 400 households living in eight slum areas of Delhi, the present study attempts to differentiate the social networks available to the head of the households at their first arrival in Delhi based on the strong and weak ties and the caste-based network. The study also disentangles the role played by these social networks in providing social protection to household heads at their first arrival. The results show that social networks, especially strong family/kinship-based and caste-based networks, play an essential role in providing social protection by assisting newly arrived migrants with housing, food and information about employment.