The Weakness of Weak Ties Revisited: Social Capital under Constraint

Persistent poverty raises questions about the role of social networks in facilitating upward mobility. Granovetter’s classic theory of the “strength of weak ties” posits that weak, bridge‐like ties can connect disadvantaged individuals to new opportunities, yet evidence from impoverished contexts suggests these ties often fail to deliver leverage. This article revisits the weak ties hypothesis in the context of long-term poverty in the Netherlands. Drawing on 216 in-depth interviews with low-income residents of urban neighbourhoods, we examine how social capital operates under conditions of scarcity and constraint. The findings reveal three interrelated dynamics that undermine the potential benefits of weak ties. First, dilemmas of honour and status lead people to avoid exploiting social connections for material gain, as they prioritise dignity and reciprocity norms over opportunism. Second, reciprocity expectations and the work of time show that unmet obligations and temporal lags in exchange erode trust, causing initially supportive ties to wither. Third, risk assessment and the cost of connection highlight how uncertainty and negative past experiences make individuals wary of new or distant contacts. Together, these factors constrain the usefulness of weak ties for getting ahead, even when such ties are present. We discuss how these findings refine social capital theory by illuminating the social processes that temper the “strength” of weak ties in persistently poor communities. Policy efforts to reduce poverty by “building bridges” must account for the contextually rooted norms of honour, reciprocity, and trust that condition network behaviour.