On Wednesday, April 3rd, at 02:30 p.m., the Nova SBE NOVAFRICA Knowledge Center welcomes Josh Blumenstock, from the University of California, Berkeley, to present his study on migration and social media.

Author:
Josh Blumenstock, Universidade da Califórnia, Berkeley.

Abstract:

What is the value of a social network? Prior work suggests two distinct mechanisms that have historically been difficult to differentiate: as a conduit of information, and as a source of social and economic support. We use a rich ‘digital trace’ dataset to link the migration decisions of millions of individuals to the topological structure of their social networks. We find that migrants systematically prefer ‘interconnected’ networks (where friends have common friends) to ‘expansive’ networks (where friends are well connected). A micro-founded model of network-based social capital helps explain this preference: migrants derive more utility from networks that are structured to facilitate social support than from networks that efficiently transmit information.

To learn more about this seminar visit this page.