Human Relationships in Hilly and Mountainous Areas

A Personal Network Approach

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze human relationships in hilly and mountainous areas using a personal network approach. Two hypotheses were analyzed: a “shrinking network” hypothesis, that residents’ personal network would be reduced in size due to depopulation, and a “reorganizing network” hypothesis, that they would change their personal network structure to adapt to its reduced size. The results contradicted the “shrinking network” hypothesis. Although isolated, those in hilly and mountainous regions kept their network size constant by geographically widening it to include friends living farther apart. This reorganization into a more diffuse network does not seem to be the “community liberation” discussed by Wellman in reference to urban areas. Rather, it is a reaction to changes in the residents’ environment such as decreased convenience.