Cambodia

Cambodia has a word that describes social networks: Khsé, meaning “string” in Khmer. However, this word is usually interpreted negatively by the majority of Cambodian people because of corruption sometimes associated with relative-favored networks. The main social networks in Cambodia, however, are intimately connected to its collectivistic cultural values, where ties between people are linked through their kinship networks and within people in a community. In addition, social networks in contemporary Cambodia are linked to local and international humanitarian agencies that link persons and organizations.

Located in southeast Asia bordering Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos, with a population of 14 million, Cambodia is a nation that has undergone continuous social and political upheavals in the past 30 years. The late 1970s genocide was the most atrocious event the country has ever experienced, with almost two million people killed and many more brutally tortured. Challenges facing the Cambodian people today include poverty, lack of education, trauma-related psychological problems, and damaged trust between people and the government. Thus, how people survive depends on social networks embedded in cultural and societal structures that are available to them and the way they socially capitalize on them.

Average household size, according to the 2005 Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey (CDHS), consists of five persons. Households with seven or more persons are higher for urban residents (26 percent) than their rural counterparts (20 percent). In civil society involvement, CDHS shows that few women (6 percent) participate in some kind of organization, such as development committees and religious groups. However, women's civil society participation in terms of voting is considerably significant, with 76 percent of women reporting they sometimes or always vote. Voting likelihood declines with increasing education—for those reporting “no education,” the rate is 87 percent, and with “secondary or more,” 59 percent.

Social networks in Cambodia lie within the close connectedness between family members. In Sothy Eng and colleagues' study of factors facilitating Cambodian students' university enrollment, most respondents mentioned extended-family networks (e.g., aunts, uncles, and grandparents) as being helpful. For some students who live in rural areas and whose parents are farmers, coming to the city to study can be a great challenge because of high expenses and the lack of accommodation. Thus, parents seek accommodation from their relatives in the city. Because most educated people were executed during the genocidal war, surviving residents generally have low education. Thus, their ability to guide their children through college is minimal. In this case, the students' relatives act as a mentor advising on various issues, including selection of major of study and possible career opportunities that the major brings. In Eng's study, most Cambodian parents (86 percent) agree/strongly agree that, “My relatives are willing to help me whenever I need help.” With widespread structural challenges such as unavailability of bank loans and housing accommodations, as well as individual barriers such as poverty and lack of parental education, these kinship networks help mobilize those who face challenges to be able to move upward via education.

Another prominent aspect of social networks in Cambodia is the presence of numerous national and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Working in both rural and urban areas, these organizations assist in sectors such as health, education, and human rights. With underdeveloped infrastructure and low education levels, rural dwellers usually have difficulty accessing appropriate places such as governmental institutions that could provide help. Thus, some NGOs located in local communities act as networking points where people can seek assistance. Referral services provided by some NGOs connect people from one place to another, depending on their needs.

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