Starting from the assumption that social relations serve a regulatory function, this article seeks to better understand three relational strategies among groups of professionals in Cali, Colombia –tight-knit groups, personal connections, and social contacts– and, by establishing the mechanism by which they operate, discern the meanings that actors endow them with and their consequences in the social structure. The essay is divided into four parts. The first discusses the theoretical foundation. The second provides an overview of the city where the study took place and the different kinds of risk that affect intermediate social groups. The third section describes the methodology of the investigation. The final part presents the results and conclusions of the study.