Social networks in transnational and virtual communities

Social networks in transnational Social networks in transnational and virtual communitiesand virtual communities

Nathan VivianFay Sudweeks

School of Information TechnologyMurdoch University, Perth, Australia

[email protected]@murdoch.edu.au

QuestionQuestion

Why do some communities survive and Why do some communities survive and some disintegrate?some disintegrate?

or more importantly …or more importantly …

How are today’s communities created and How are today’s communities created and maintained?maintained?

Social NetworksSocial Networks

Social networks can explain how communities are Social networks can explain how communities are created and maintained. created and maintained.

Individuals create Individuals create interpersonal bondsinterpersonal bonds with others with others within their social network that are interwoven within their social network that are interwoven with the with the social institutionssocial institutions of their society. of their society.

These These interwoven patterns and matricesinterwoven patterns and matrices can can facilitate the facilitate the success or failuresuccess or failure of societies and of societies and organisations that depend on these networks.organisations that depend on these networks.


Social ties are not fixed. Networks are constantly Social ties are not fixed. Networks are constantly being being socially constructedsocially constructed and altered by their and altered by their members.members.

Interpersonal relations within social networks cut Interpersonal relations within social networks cut across traditional across traditional boundariesboundaries such as such as neighbourhood, workplace, kinship and class.neighbourhood, workplace, kinship and class.


Sociologist in the 1950s anticipated Sociologist in the 1950s anticipated disconnectedness, loss of community and weakly disconnectedness, loss of community and weakly supportive relationships due to “rapid supportive relationships due to “rapid modernisation”.modernisation”.

Yet the realisation of the Internet and modern Yet the realisation of the Internet and modern technologies have provided for community technologies have provided for community creation well beyond expectation.creation well beyond expectation.

Social NetworksSocial Networks How have social networks facilitated How have social networks facilitated

communities?communities?

A proposed framework helps to explain how A proposed framework helps to explain how social networks facilitate the creation and social networks facilitate the creation and maintenance of communities regardless of size maintenance of communities regardless of size and communication medium.and communication medium.

In particular we look at transnational communities In particular we look at transnational communities and virtual communities.and virtual communities.

Transnational CommunitiesTransnational Communities ““Migration is a process that both depends on and Migration is a process that both depends on and

creates creates social networkssocial networks” ” (Portes, 1995)(Portes, 1995)

Transnational communities are characterised by Transnational communities are characterised by perpetual back and forth border crossing movements perpetual back and forth border crossing movements among migrants.among migrants.

Communities whose mobility is celebrated as being Communities whose mobility is celebrated as being “neither here nor there” (Portes)“neither here nor there” (Portes)

Communities whose Communities whose mobility is a drama of mobility is a drama of displacement, destitution, and ultimate homelessness displacement, destitution, and ultimate homelessness (Torres-Saillant)(Torres-Saillant)

Virtual CommunitiesVirtual Communities

• ““The online The online social networksocial network provided a venue for provided a venue for storytelling, showcasing, projects and best storytelling, showcasing, projects and best practices that could be leveraged to create new practices that could be leveraged to create new knowledge resources” knowledge resources” (Kimball & Rheingold, 2000)(Kimball & Rheingold, 2000)

• People who are geographically separated or “on the People who are geographically separated or “on the road” need a way of maintaining contact, whether they road” need a way of maintaining contact, whether they are part of a large community or an organisational are part of a large community or an organisational project team.project team.

• Virtual Virtual settlements.settlements.

Relationships

Groups/Teams

BasicConnections

Key Members

Social Spaces

Social Formation

Identity/Belonging

SocialStructures

SocialCapital

Social SpacesSocial Spaces Social spaces are:Social spaces are:

place-centeredplace-centered (embedded in particular location) (embedded in particular location) trans-territorialtrans-territorial (geographically disparate but intensely (geographically disparate but intensely

connected)connected) and social spaces:and social spaces:

are where individuals first are where individuals first meetmeet and develop contacts and develop contacts provide the initial provide the initial mediummedium to form and maintain to form and maintain basic basic

connectionsconnections which enable individuals to which enable individuals to create relationshipscreate relationships create the create the identityidentity or belongingness of the community (e.g. or belongingness of the community (e.g.

campus, shopping mall, town squares).campus, shopping mall, town squares).

Relationships

Groups/Teams

Provides the initial medium and maintains …

Encourages the notion of belonging, especially in respect to a community

Can enable individuals to

create …

Meeting areas of common interest provide for …

Members often have a feeling of belonging and therefore come back

Communicate through the common medium

Form/Change Strengthens

Assist in forming strong bonds with members of the community

Embedded community members affect …

Effect of relational embeddedness

Embedded community members mobilise …

A direct and sometimes transparent relationship

Key members often control and utilise different forms of communication to maintain their networks, hence social capital

BasicConnections

Key Members

Social Spaces

Social Formation

Identity/Belonging

SocialStructures

SocialCapital

Social spaces and places are new areas where people can meet, communicate with others and assimilate, providing the initial medium to form and maintain basic connections, which in turn enable individuals to create relationships.

Social FormationSocial Formation Relationships exist between individuals or Relationships exist between individuals or

between groups which are mostly dynamic but between groups which are mostly dynamic but strengthen a sense of strengthen a sense of identityidentity and and belongingbelonging in in groups and teams. groups and teams. Notion of community consciousnessNotion of community consciousness

These groups are often in These groups are often in different social arenasdifferent social arenas, , but are identifiable in any community. but are identifiable in any community.

The The key memberskey members of these groups are those who of these groups are those who are are stakeholdersstakeholders within their community. within their community.

Social FormationSocial Formation

Key members use Key members use communicationcommunication and and social social spacesspaces to maintain their networks. to maintain their networks.

Community members are Community members are embeddedembedded in the in the community in two ways:community in two ways: how they relate personally to each other (relational how they relate personally to each other (relational

embeddedness)embeddedness) how social relationships affect social structures how social relationships affect social structures

(structural embeddedness)(structural embeddedness)

Key members often control and utilise different forms of communications to maintain their networks, hence social capital

Relationships

Groups/Teams




create …










BasicConnections

Key Members

Social Spaces

Social Formation

Identity/Belonging

SocialStructures

SocialCapital

Social formation and social structures are dependent on the relationships of the community members.

Social CapitalSocial Capital Social capital is defined as a player’s level of Social capital is defined as a player’s level of

cooperativeness within a social network. cooperativeness within a social network. A social network is a set of players and a pattern of exchange of A social network is a set of players and a pattern of exchange of

information and/or goods among these players.information and/or goods among these players. Social capital is developed and maintained over time Social capital is developed and maintained over time

through regular through regular communication, participation in events communication, participation in events and membership of associationsand membership of associations..

Participation alone is not capital building – Participation alone is not capital building – reciprocationreciprocation is is required.required.

Key members often control and utilise different forms of communication to maintain their networks, hence social capital

Relationships

Groups/Teams




create …










BasicConnections

Key Members

Social Spaces

Social Formation

Identity/Belonging

SocialStructures

SocialCapital

The resources of any player is not the social capital, rather it is the individual’s ability to mobilise that capital on demand.

Relationships

Groups/Teams

Provides the initial medium and maintains



create

Meeting areas of common interest provide for





Embedded community members affect


Embedded community members mobilise


Key members often control and utilise different forms of communications to maintain their networks, hence social capital

BasicConnections

Key Members

Social Spaces

Social Formation

Identity/Belonging

SocialStructures

SocialCapital

Transnational CommunitiesTransnational Communities

Not only individual people migrate, but their Not only individual people migrate, but their social networks migrate also.social networks migrate also. Social networks are crucial for finding jobs, Social networks are crucial for finding jobs,

accommodation, psychological support, social and accommodation, psychological support, social and economic information.economic information.

Migration is a process of network building, which Migration is a process of network building, which reinforces social relationships across space.reinforces social relationships across space.

Virtual CommunitiesVirtual Communities

Virtual community members bring offline values Virtual community members bring offline values and interactions in their online communities.and interactions in their online communities. Many believe that virtual communities are Many believe that virtual communities are

sociologically the same as their “brick and mortar” sociologically the same as their “brick and mortar” counterparts.counterparts.

ConclusionsConclusions

Social networks do not depend on one relationship Social networks do not depend on one relationship or on any particular social space in which people or on any particular social space in which people meet.meet.

Social networks depend on the process of creating Social networks depend on the process of creating relationships, embedding oneself into the social relationships, embedding oneself into the social structure – whether the structure be trans-structure – whether the structure be trans-territorial or virtually co-located – and the ability territorial or virtually co-located – and the ability to mobilise social capital. to mobilise social capital.

ReferencesReferences Annen, K. (Forthcoming). Social Capital, Inclusive Networks, and Economic

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http://www.rheingold.com/Associates/onlinenetworks.html





ReferencesReferences Portes, A. (1995). The economic sociology of immigration. In A. Portes (Ed.),

Economic Sociology and the Sociology of Immigration: A conceptual Overview (pp. 1-41). New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

Portes, A. (1996). Global Villagers: The Rise of Transnational Communities. The American Prospect (25), 74-77.

Sassen, S. (2000). New frontiers facing urban sociology at the millennium. British Journal of Sociology, 15(1), 143-159.

Tarrow, S. (1998). Power in Movement: Social Movements and Contentious Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Vertovec, S. (2001, June 30-July 1). Transnational social formations towards conceptual cross fertilization. Paper presented at Transnational Migration: Comparative Perspectives, Princeton University.

Wellman, B., & Gulia, M. (1999). Net surfers don't ride alone: Virtual communities as communities. In B. Wellman (Ed.), Networks in the Global Village (pp. 331-367). Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

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Social networks in transnational and virtual communities