Repercussions of Patrilocal Residence on Mothers’ Social Support Networks Among Tsimane Forager-Farmers

While it is commonly thought that patrilocality is associated with worse
outcomes for women 27 and their children due to lower social support, few
studies have examined whether the structure 28 of female social networks
covaries with post-marital residence. Here we analyze scan sample 29 data
collected among Tsimane forager-farmers. We compare the social groups and
activity 30 partners of 181 women residing in the same community as their
parents, their husband’s parents, 31 both or neither. Relative to women
living closer to their in-laws, women living closer to their 32 parents
are less likely to be alone or solely in the company of their nuclear
family (OR: 0.6, 33 95%CI: 0.3-0.9), and more likely to be observed with
others when engaging in food processing 34 and manufacturing of market or
household goods, but not other activities. Women are slightly 35 more
likely to receive childcare support from outside the nuclear family when
they live closer to 36 their parents (OR=1.8, 95%CI 0.8 - 3.9). Their
social group size and their children’s probability 37 of receiving
allocate decrease significantly with distance from their parents, but not
their in-laws. 38 Our findings highlight the importance of women’s
proximity to kin, but also indicate that 39 patrilocality per se is not
costly to Tsimane women.