Casilli, Antonio A. and Tubaro, Paola (2010) An ethno-computational approach to friendship in SNS. In: Proceedings of SunBelt XXX, 2010. International Network for Social Network Analysis, p. 197.

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Abstract

This paper focuses on how different configurations of privacy settings, content-sharing and culture traits display affect the formation of online friendship networks. By adopting an innovative ethno-computational methodology (as developed in Tubaro & Casilli, 2010), we draw on a participant observation carried out on the popular SNS Facebook to subsequently inform an agent-based model.
The ethnographic phase suggests the hypothesis that culture traits display plays a crucial role in the creation of ties and is motivated by social capital maximisation. This hypothesis is problematized through the analysis of simulated network data. New dynamics emerge from the computational interaction of agents, such as 1) a tension between bridging and bonding dynamics; 2) relevance of privacy settings; 3) anomie.
As homophily alone fails to account for tie formation and maintenance, Lahire’s (2004) notion of “cultural dissonance” – through which individuals adhere to their group culture while preserving their “self distinction” – can be productively conjured up to explain friendship formation in online social networks.

Item Type:	Conference Proceedings
Title of Proceedings:	Proceedings of SunBelt XXX, 2010
Additional Information:	[1] Lecture given as part of the Online Social Networks Section of the XXX Sunbelt Social Networks Conference held in Tento, Italy from 29 June to 4 July 2010
Uncontrolled Keywords:	simulation, qualitative approaches, social networks on the web, agent based models, friendship network
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA76 Computer software
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Business > Networks and Urban Systems Centre (NUSC) > Centre for Business Network Analysis (CBNA) Faculty of Business > Department of International Business & Economics
Related URLs:	Publisher Organisation
Last Modified:	14 Oct 2016 09:13
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/5237

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