ABSTRACT
Low-income Jamaicans may not articulate the importance of connections in terms of social capital, but they are quite aware of the way that Jamaicans use friendship, kinship and other ties as a coping strategy. The vital role played by the cell phone in the coping strategies of the poorest segment of the population is sufficient to explain the phenomenon of link-up itself. While networking is vital in understanding coping strategies, the implications of cause and effect could also be reversed, and people give and take not because they need to do so to facilitate connectedness. As with internal networks, relatives may be cherished but are also a vital aspect of coping strategies for those with tenuous economic circumstances. Link-up seems to be a powerful aspect of coping for those with the lowest incomes, it can also be viewed as part of a general sentiment in favour of extensive networks, where giving and, begging help extend social connectedness.
