Who makes claims on the state for social welfare, and how and why do they do so? This article examines these dynamics in the rural Indian context, observing that citizens living in the same local communities differ dramatically in their approaches to the state. The author develops a theory to explain these varied patterns of action and inaction, arguing that citizen claim-making is best understood as a product of exposure to people and places beyond the immediate community and locality. This social and spatial exposure builds citizens’ encounters with, knowledge of, and linkages to the state. This in turn develops their aspirations toward the state and their capabilities for state-targeted action. The author tests the theory in rural Rajasthan, drawing on a combination of original survey data and qualitative interviews. She finds that those who traverse boundaries of caste, neighborhood, and village are more likely to make claims on the state, and that they do so through broader repertoires of action than those who are more constrained by the same boundaries. The article concludes by considering the extensions and limitations of the theory and the role of the state itself in establishing the terrain for citizen action.

中文翻译：

---

社会福利的追求

谁向国家提出社会福利要求，他们如何以及为什么这样做？本文考察了印度农村背景下的这些动态，观察到生活在同一当地社区的公民在对待国家的方式上存在巨大差异。作者发展了一种理论来解释这些不同的作为和不作为的模式，认为公民提出索赔最好理解为接触直接社区和地方以外的人和地方的产物。这种社会和空间暴露建立了公民与国家的接触、知识和与国家的联系。这反过来又发展了他们对国家的渴望和他们针对国家行动的能力。作者结合原始调查数据和定性访谈，在拉贾斯坦邦农村测试了这一理论。她发现那些跨越种姓、社区和村庄界限的人更有可能对国家提出要求，而且他们通过更广泛的行动来实现这一目标，而不是那些受到相同界限约束的人。文章最后考虑了理论的扩展和局限性，以及国家本身在为公民行动建立领域中的作用。