This paper explores how unequal resources and social and economic polarization affects
the size of social networks and their use to access resources. We argue that individual
resource position generates divergent expectations with regard to the impact of polarization
on the size of networks on one hand, and their usefulness for accessing resources on the
other. Social and economic polarization encourages reliance on informal networks, but
those at the bottom of the social structure are forced to rely on more extensive networks than …