One’s ability to manage the trials of poverty depends on their networks—the relationships, support, information, and resources they cultivate from them. Social ties come with obligations; whether networks ultimately help or hinder those living in poverty remains in question. 

This volume of The ANNALS examines the uncertain role of network systems in the context of low-income populations in the 21st century. Applying new fieldwork from subject experts across the globe, this volume highlights networks and the complex relationships that shape them, the local organizations that foster them, and the policy changes needed to bolster their value in times of economic distress.