Residential mobility and the spatial dispersion of personal networks: Effects on social support

Using a representative national sample of personal networks, this article explores how the spatial dispersion of networks, residential mobility and social support are linked. Three issues will be addressed here. Firstly, how is the spatial dispersion of personal networks related to individuals’ social characteristics, network composition and residential mobility? Secondly, how do the spatial dispersion of networks, residential mobility and their combined effect influence the number and (thirdly) the structure of emotional support ties? Results showed that the extent of the support was affected neither by the geographical distribution of the networks nor by residential mobility. Living far from one's birthplace, however, exerted two distinct, and opposite effects on the support network structure. On the one hand, mobility led to high spatial dispersion of personal contacts, which in turn favored a sparsely knit network centered around the mobile individual. On the other hand, by controlling for the effect of distance between the contacts, we found that individuals that cited long-distance ties tended to be part of more transitive support networks than those that cited local ties. We interpreted the latter effect as evidence that transitive ties may survive greater spatial distances than intransitive ones. These findings are discussed in view of spatial mobility and social network research.     

Random errors in egocentric networks

The systematic errors that are induced by a combination of human memory limitations and common survey design and implementation have long been studied in the context of egocentric networks. Despite this, little if any work exists in the area of random error analysis on these same networks; this paper offers a perspective on the effects of random errors on egonet analysis, as well as the effects of using egonet measures as independent predictors in linear models. We explore the effects of false-positive and false-negative error in egocentric networks on both standard network measures and on linear models through simulation analysis on a ground truth egocentric network sample based on facebook-friendships. Results show that 5–20% error rates, which are consistent with error rates known to occur in ego network data, can cause serious misestimation of network properties and regression parameters.     

Producing public goods in networks: Some effects of social comparison and endogenous network change

As actors participate in the production of public goods, processes of social comparison may affect the decisions about the individual contributions as well as the endogenously changing structure of an underlying social network. This leads to the transformation of an ordinary n-player Prisoner's Dilemma of collective action into an n-player coordination game. The paper uses agent-based simulations to trace the formation of public goods while varying network characteristics, such as density, segregation, or the strength of relationships. Additionally, the usage of both a forward- and a backward-looking agent model shows possible implications of different assumptions about the actors’ decision making.     

On Youth＇s Value Structure Roots of the Rise of Social Network Sites

青年价值结构反映了青年在价值观念变迁中现代化维度和后现代化维度中的转变程度。目前社交网站覆盖人数众多,用户以高学历、年轻化、城市分布规律化和交际现实性为主要特点。社交网站发展与青年价值结构变迁具有内在的密切关联。社交网站技术引进国内却丧失了原有的“意义图景”,说明我国青年在价值理性方面的缺失和对工具理性的追逐：接受社交网站说明“熟人社会”结构在青年社交活动中仍然延续．社交网站也能为青年实现个人成就提供可能性：社交网站馈赠型社会化模式有效改进了青年“相对被剥夺感”严重、幸福感低迷的现状,这是社交网站进一步发展壮大的功能基础。     

立体赋权：农村留守儿童社会支持网络的建构

随着城市化进程的加快,农村剩余劳动力大量涌入城市,产生了留守儿童这一新的群体,其社会支持问题El益突出,引起社会各界广泛的关注。厦门“凤凰花助飞体验营”服务项目借助增权视角社会工作理论,在实践中探索出建构留守儿童社会支持网络的路径：增强个体自我效能感,提升建构支持的内在能力;集体中参与,多中心地构建近距离的社会支持;倡导创造建构社会支持网络的良好社会与制度环境。     

社交网站兴起与青年价值结构分析

青年价值结构反映了青年在价值观念变迁中现代化维度和后现代化维度中的转变程度。目前社交网站覆盖人数众多,用户以高学历、年轻化、城市分布规律化和交际现实性为主要特点。社交网站发展与青年价值结构变迁具有内在的密切关联。社交网站技术引进国内却丧失了原有的“意义图景”,说明我国青年在价值理性方面的缺失和对工具理性的追逐：接受社交网站说明“熟人社会”结构在青年社交活动中仍然延续．社交网站也能为青年实现个人成就提供可能性：社交网站馈赠型社会化模式有效改进了青年“相对被剥夺感”严重、幸福感低迷的现状,这是社交网站进一步发展壮大的功能基础。     

网络青年文化的“自我空间”论

后现代的网络社会既给青年人寻找自我、建构身份搭建了广阔的新舞台,也为青年人提供了一个空间自由、文化自主的新天地——青年文化的"自我空间"。在这样一个以"自我"为中心和遵循"快乐至上"原则的空间里,青年人主动将自我符号化,充分运用网络媒介的自主权,通过创建微电影、微小说等微美学文本,把自己的内心世界投射到网络社会并最大限度地释放与表现、宣泄与满足。他们在"自我空间"里呈现自我、形塑自我的同时,也进行着青年亚文化的传播与实践。     

网游青少年:网络负面形象的建构与实证

网络游戏已经成为青少年的一种普遍娱乐方式,而网络新闻在公众对网游青少年玩家的认识过程中起着重要作用,它们经常从不同角度来报道并放大具有典型意义的网游青少年玩家个案,以此建构网游青少年玩家的形象并引导人们对该群体的印象存储。通过对11年来人民网与新浪网中相关报道的内容分析,发现网络新闻对网游青少年玩家媒介形象构建时出现偏差,形成对网游青少年玩家污名化形象建构的影响。     

后现代语境下网络造句现象的解读与反思

后现代语境下的网络造句既是一种文化现象,也是一种社会现象。它采用复制拼贴、移植杂揉、反讽戏谑等手法,把“娱乐至死”精神发挥到极致,刻画出了一幅全民参与的狂欢图景。并非所有的网络造句现象都是无实质意义的娱乐化产物,有相当部分的网络造句现象来源于现实社会问题,只不过表达形式采取了娱乐式的戏谑手法。然而过度娱乐化,却会造成文化消费主义、虚无主义、非理性主义、个人主义伴随着网络造句现象不断蔓延。为此,需要对后现代语境下网络造句现象的消极影响进行理性反思,有针对性地加以消解,从而保障虚拟社会得以秩序化运行。     

网络与集群:温州企业家群体形成的机制分析

同历史上地域性企业家集群(商帮)类似,温州呈现了一种独有的企业家集群的现象.本文首先给出了温州企业家集群的整体描述,然后例举了三种典型的温州企业家集群.通过企业家集群和社会网络研究的综述,以及对温州企业家集群形成的历程分析,提出了五个基于社会网络理论的基本假设,认为温州企业家集群出现的主要原因在于“瓯文化”,“瓯文化”是温州企业家精神和企业家“干中学”才能形成的渊源.