Paul Hooper (Santa Fe Institute)
Abstract. Both the structure of networks and the currency that is transmitted by network ties may affect the extent to which the benefits of network participation are unequally distributed in a society. Correspondingly one’s position in a network may reflect one's wealth. Drawing on data from a number of traditional small-scale human societies, this talk presents an analysis of the statistical associations between individual wealth and measures of network centrality, and between societal wealth inequality and inequality in network centrality. These findings allow tests of models of network structure and inequality, and suggest that differences in a society’s mode of livelihood may affect wealth inequality by their effect on network structure.