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Barring the odd beast and monk, just about everyone is connected these days – at most by 6 degrees of interpersonal connection
and often by less (Milgram, 1967; Kochen, 1989; Watts, 2003). Yet only a tiny fraction of those who are connected ever interact
in any meaningful way as friends, relatives, neighbours, workmates, and acquaintances. These ti...
Citations
... Socio-technical affordances then focus on the interaction of technology and human behavior: people are interacting with each other with the help of technology. As an example, Wellman et al. (2006) studied the impact of social media and Internet use on increased communication behavior. Others have looked at increased civic action and participation of citizens in digital policymaking or the awareness and teamwork in computersupported collaborations (Carroll, Rosson, Convertino, & Ganoe, 2006). ...
Agile refers to a work management ideology with a set of productivity frameworks that support continuous and iterative progress on work tasks by reviewing one's hypotheses, working in a human-centric way, and encouraging evidence-based learning. In practice, public administrations have started to use agile principles and methods to plan projects, work in short sprints, iterate after receiving feedback from stakeholders, and apply a human-centric approach to arrive at proto-typed solutions. To understand the opportunities and challenges public servants perceive when they are asked to apply agile work practices, I conducted focus groups to study the social affordances of agile governance that need to be in place for public servants to adopt an agile mindset and its related practices. As a result of the exposure to agile work practices, public servants are either able to perceive its affordances and are willing to adopt agile, they falsely perceive them or they even remain hidden from them leading to a rejection of agile.
... Therefore, although initial policy expectations were that ICT would greatly contribute to more efficient use of transport infrastructure by spreading travellers across modes, routes, and departure times or in other words by changing the travel behaviour and pattern of people (Commission of the European Communities 2001; Federal Transit Administration 2003; Department for Transport 2004), it was needed to be adjusted (Chorus et al. 2006;Chorus et al. 2007;Farag and Lyons 2010;Pawlak et al. 2020). In this context, some scholars observed that since travel behaviour and travel pattern are influenced by people's social network characteristics, and the propensity to perform social activities (Carrasco and Miller 2006), ICT can act as a catalyst in social interaction, thus influencing travel behaviour and travel pattern (Wellman et al. 2006;Yin et al. 2021). ...
... This dual/ multiple connectivity of the social ecology network, for example, offers potential for testing of hypotheses related to how the different system connectivity's from a central person might correlate with service delivery optimisation or intervention success (see vignette in Exhibit 1). Previous network analysis, for example, has shown that service interventions that target a particular person are optimized if average path length (from person to services) is low [58,63,64]. This suggests that the service provision based on need must be a small number of steps away from, and both directly and indirectly connected to the person, including through risk factors or protective factors. ...
Efforts to address problems such as mental health, poverty, social exclusion, and chronic disease have often proven resistant to traditional policies or interventions. In this paper, we take up the challenge and present a pioneering new method of analysis in drawing on theoretical and methodological extensions of two prominent approaches, namely, social network analysis and developmental social ecology. Considered in combination, these two seemingly disparate approaches frame a powerful new way of thinking about person-centred care, as well as offer a methodologically more rigorous set of analytical tools. The conceptual model developed from this combination offers to bridge the apparent disconnect between service integration levels and patient needs in such a way as to direct optimal effort to interventions at the individual level and to provide a new innovative approach to the delivery of integrated care.
... Furthermore, it seems that these students did not restrict themselves only to their university and its teachers, but also sought information beyond their university's walls. As Wellman et al. (2006) state before the Internet, the only context of interaction was within local places, while with the Internet and SNSs, 'there has been a shift from place-to-place networking towards person-to-person' networking, which gives people more 'flexible autonomy using social networks' (p. 165). ...
... 165). Wellman et al. (2006) also discuss 'person-toperson networked individualism', which represents a major shift in how people connect with others, build networks, and acquire information (p. 146). ...
This thesis explores how Saudi female university students use Twitter for educational purposes and their opinions about its educational potential. In addition, it examines how students use Twitter to present their academic identities and how Twitter affects their academic discourse. I focused on female students because I wanted to investigate how Twitter affects how they communicate with the opposite gender in general and in particular academically, and how it could help Saudi women make their voices heard in a society largely dominated by men.
This study used a qualitative methodology. The data were collected through semi- structured interviews with 15 participants from King Faisal University (KFU) and a content analysis of their Twitter posts. The data were thematically analysed using NVivo.
This study found that the students’ use of Twitter was mainly student-directed; for the most part, they did not use Twitter because teachers requested them to. Moreover, the participants used Twitter for educational purposes in two ways: to support their university studies and to support their language learning.
The study also found that the participants typically presented three components of their academic identities: They shared their academic disciplines, identified themselves as students at KFU, and used academic hashtags. While interpreting the findings of this research question, I found Goffman’s (1959) theories to be helpful for understanding how the students used Twitter to present the academic aspects of their identities. Furthermore, Goffman’s theories were also useful for interpreting the findings of the first research question.
The participants identified several ways that Twitter expanded the sphere of their academic discourse: They followed and interacted with teachers and students from their university and from other universities, reached particular audiences, and communicated with people of the opposite gender. In addition, they used Twitter to engage in several types of academic interactions. These included requesting and offering academic assistance, interactions that reinforcing academic relationships, and engaging in academic discussions. The findings showed that Saudi culture impacted how the students used Twitter and that, simultaneously, Twitter impacted Saudi culture.
Moreover, using the constructivist paradigm to study social phenomena without any predeveloped assumptions or theories revealed some interesting and unexpecting findings. An example of this is the strategies the participants used to learn a foreign language. A further example is the creative strategies they used to follow and interact with academics on Twitter.
These findings contribute to our understanding of how students use Twitter in their academic lives to support their education, to present their academic identities, and to engage in academic discourse. This research offers valuable insights into how Twitter is and can be used for formal and informal learning. The research also provides some recommendations for future studies.
... The frequency and medium of communication are particularly notable as factors that were not related to tie dormancy for either kin or nonkin. This supports the conclusion that support networks can be maintained with surprisingly little routine maintenance (Wellman et al. 2006). This not only casts doubt on those who argue that the introduction of new media detrimentally influences the number and intensity of strong ties (Turkle 2015), but also introduces additional conceptual issues for those who operationalize tie strength in closed communication systems, such as Facebook and mobile phone networks, as a function of communication frequency (Gilbert and Karahalios 2009;Jones et al. 2013). ...
Personal networks undergo change in response to major life course events. Individual, relational, and network characteristics that influence network instability in the absence of a significant life transition/crisis are less understood. We focus on those ties that transition from active to dormant. Because the shift to dormancy is often interpreted as a reduction in support or social capital, it is considered problematic. This study is based on longitudinal survey data of middle‐class adults who did not undergo life changes. Even in this context of relative stability, support networks experience rates of dormancy similar to those observed during periods of major upheaval. Tie dormancy is unrelated to individual characteristics, network size and density, or homophily along dimensions other than sex. Frequency and medium of communication are particularly notable as factors that were not related to tie dormancy. Ties were less likely to become dormant if they were geographically or emotionally close, immediate kin or neighbors, highly supportive, the same sex, or more embedded in the network. These findings provide context for how support networks operate when not buffeted by exogenous forces. They provide a baseline for understanding the impact on networks of transitions, trauma, new media, and difficult life circumstances.
... In jüngerer Zeit hat sich sein Interesse auf Online-Communities erweitert, und er plädierte dafür, diese als Netzwerke zu untersuchen. Er hat in diesem Zusammenhang 2004 erneut Daten in East York erhoben (Wellman et al. 2006) und gezeigt, wie Indi-viduen durch die Nutzung des Internets Beziehungen auch über weite Entfernungen unterhalten und Unterstützung generieren. ...
Der Aufsatz » The Community Question « stellt mit der ersten » East York Study « eine Pionier-Studie der amerikanischen Netzwerkforschung vor. In dieser Studie wurden 1968 die sozialen Netzwerke von 845 erwachsenen Bewohnern von East York erhoben, eines vornehmlich von Angehörigen der unteren Mittelklasse bewohnten Stadtteils von Toronto (Kanada), der den Ruf hatte, besonders gemeinschaftlich orientiert zu sein. Mit seiner netzwerkanalytischen Perspektive schließt Wellman an die Arbeiten der so genannten Pioniere der Netzwerkforschung an, die vor allem Verwandtschafts- und Nachbarschaftsverhältnisse in nahräumigen » communities « (z. B. die klassischen Studien von Barnes (→ 1954) und Bott (→ 1957)) untersuchten.
... Further evidence suggesting age differences in privacy concerns comes from a study that included age comparisons. Using an online survey of 505 Facebook users aged 18-65, Van den Broeck et al. [19] suggested that individuals in different age groups-emerging adults (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25), young adults (25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40), and middle adults (40-65)-vary in how they manage their social media privacy. They found that middle adults expressed the highest degree of privacy concern, followed by young adults, and lastly emerging adults. ...
... We use interviews from the fourth wave of data collection that has taken place in East York since 1968 [33][34][35], situating the digital involvement of Toronto adults in the context of their everyday lives. East York was previously an autonomous borough but is now part of the larger City of Toronto. ...
Older adults (65+) use a wide range of digital media, yet have been slow in adopting social media specifically. In this paper, we explore to what extent privacy concerns could be a barrier to social media adoption in this demographic. By analyzing in-depth interviews with 40 older adult users and non-users of social media living in East York1, Toronto, Canada, we explore the types of social media privacy concerns that older adults have as well as the strategies they employ to mitigate these concerns. We found that older adult social media users and non-users shared similar privacy concerns; the most often mentioned being a concern for unauthorized access to personal information, and information misuse. While older adult non-users of social media protected themselves by avoiding social media, older adults who were social media users protected themselves by limiting the information they shared. This study has policy implications for training programs geared toward older adults and informs understandings of privacy literacy across the lifespan.
... Thus, we measured bonding and bridging by combining a group of indicators and looked at a set of resources using the resources generator (see Table 2). Among that group of indicators, previously validated in social capital research [48,[59][60][61][62], are items from the Internet Social Capital Scales (ISCS) that consider offline and online bonding and bridging dimensions [56]. The bonding items tap into emotional and social support, whereas the bridging items tap into broader worldviews and opportunities for new resources [56]. ...
Older adults (aged 65+) are still less likely to adopt the Internet when compared to other age groups, although their usage is increasing. To explore the societal effects of Internet usage, scholars have been using social capital as an analytical tool. Social capital pertains to the resources that are potentially available in one’s social ties. As the Internet becomes a prominent source of information, communication, and participation in industrialized countries, it is critical to study how it affects social resources from an age-comparative perspective. Research has found a positive association between Internet use and social capital, though limited attention has been paid to older adults. Studies have also found a positive association between social capital and wellbeing, health, sociability, and social support amongst older adults. However, little is known about how Internet usage or lack thereof relates to their social capital. To address this gap, we used a mixed-methods approach to examine the relationship between Internet usage and social capital and whether and how it differs by age. For this, we surveyed a representative sample of 417 adults (18+) living in Lisbon, Portugal, of which 118 are older adults. Social capital was measured through bonding, bridging, and specific resources, and analyzed with Latent Class Modeling and logistic regressions. Internet usage was measured through frequency and type of use. Fourteen follow-up semi-structured interviews helped contextualize the survey data. Our findings show that social capital decreased with age but varied for each type of Internet user. Older adults were less likely to have a high level of social capital; yet within this age group, frequent Internet users had higher levels than other users and non-users. On the one hand, the Internet seems to help maintain, accrue, and even mobilize social capital. On the other hand, it also seems to reinforce social inequality and accumulated advantage (known as the Matthew effect).
... The transformation of social structures in society has captured researchers' fascination for generations, with the long-lasting debate about 'The Community Question' concerning the relationship of large-scale societal shifts to social networks (e.g., Hampton, Lee, & Her, 2011;Hampton & Wellman, in press;Rainie & Wellman, 2012;Wellman, 1979). In this line of intellectual pursuit, four waves of studies in the East York area of Toronto have been conducted since 1968 to examine the intersections of personal relationships, social activities, and technology use (e.g., Quan-Haase, Mo, & Wellman, 2017;Quan-Haase, Wang, Wellman, & Zhang, in press;Quan-Haase, Williams, Kicevski, Elueze, & Wellman, in press;Wellman, 1979;Wellman et al., 2006;Wellman & Tindall, 1993;Wellman & Wortley, 1990). The first three waves of the East York studies showed that North Americans remained socially connected despite continuing lamentations about the death of community (c.f., Gee, 2018;Putnam, 2000;Turkle, 2011). ...
... Large national surveys and in-depth interviews have provided evidence of networked individualism (Boase & Wellman, 2005;Hampton, 2016;Hampton et al., 2011;Rainie & Wellman, 2012;in press;Wellman et al., 2006). However, older adults were often a minority in these studies and lumped together with other age groups in the analysis of general trends. ...
Networked individualism is a critical concept about the transition of the societal shift from geographically bounded local groups to the contemporary network society comprised of sparse, permeable, and dynamic communication networks. An underlying assumption about networked individuals thus far in the literature is that they are at a younger age. There are fears that older adults have been left behind in this transition to networked individualism. In this study, we are the first to inquire to what extent ‒ and in what ways ‒ are older adults networked individuals. Using in-depth interviews with 41 older adults living in the East York area of Toronto, we used a combination of quantitative coding, thematic analysis, and individual profiling to analyze their social network structure, relational autonomy, and digital media use. Our findings render a rather complex and nuanced picture, showing three types of older adults along the spectrum of networked individualism: networked individuals, socially connected but not networked individuals, and socially constrained individuals. Although most participants are socially connected, those who are networked individuals actively manage and navigate multiple, diverse, and non-redundant social networks. Digital media use is neither necessary nor sufficient in qualifying a person as a networked individual as the great majority of East Yorkers ‒ even if not networked individuals ‒ integrate digital media into their everyday lives.
... We draw on interviews from the fourth wave of data collection that has taken place in East York since 1968 (Wellman, 1979;Wellman et al., 2006;Wellman & Wortley, 1990). East York, previously an autonomous borough of metropolitan Toronto, is now part of the larger City of Toronto, the fourth largest metropolitan area in North America. ...
There is a growing literature on teenage and young adult users' attitudes toward and concerns about online privacy, yet little is known about older adults and their unique experiences. As older adults join the digital world in growing numbers, we need to gain a better understanding of how they experience and navigate online privacy. This paper fills this research gap by examining 40 in-depth interviews with older adults (65 and older) living in East York, Toronto. We found Westin's typology to be a useful starting point for understanding privacy attitudes and concerns in this demographic. We expand Westin's typology and distinguish five categories: fundamentalist, intense pragmatist, relaxed pragmatist, marginally concerned, and cynical expert. We find that older adults are not a homogenous group composed of privacy fundamentalists; rather, there is considerable variability in terms of their privacy attitudes, with only 13 per cent being fundamentalists. We also identify a group of cynical experts who believe that online privacy breaches are inevitable. A large majority of older adults are marginally concerned, as they see their online participation as limited and harmless. Older adults were also grouped as either intense or relaxed pragmatists. We find that some privacy concerns are shared by older adults across several categories, the most common being spam, unauthorized access to personal information, and information misuse. We discuss theoretical implications based on the findings for our understanding of privacy in the context of older adults' digital lives and discuss implications for offering training appropriate for enhancing privacy literacy in this age group.
