Analyzing Social Networks in Upland Farming Communities for Improving Design of Education and Information Programs: The Case of Atok, Benguet
Aubrey D. Tabuga, Anna Jennifer L. Umlas, and Katrina Mae C. Zuluaga
This study examines the structure of social networks in three upland farm communities in Benguet Province to develop insights about how information and education campaigns can be designed to more effectively reach farmers located in remote and geographically constrained areas. In the Philippines, there is a significant human resource gap in extension workers. It is therefore important to explore mechanisms that can help address this gap. The idea is to use the prevailing social norms in communities to identify, through social network analysis, central actors who can potentially aid in extension work as well as peripheral actors who may be reached through a different approach. We found that upland communities have varied social network densities and that network centrality of actors is associated with having the means to move around and one’s physical proximity to venues for social gathering. We conclude that information and education campaign (IEC) approaches can be improved by accounting for differences and nuances in the social structures in their design and implementation. Targeting central actors in the communities in IECs and providing an incentive mechanism for these to aid in extension work through echoing and social influencing are potentially effective strategies that can be implemented in contexts of inadequate human and financial resources. At the same time, a more direct approach for reaching and benefiting actors who are not wellintegrated into the social systems will ensure that these are not left behind.