Sociology->Migration->Social Networks
Magdol, Lynn (2000) The people you know: The impact of residential mobility on mothers' social network ties. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships V17(2) p.183-204
Abstract: The objective of this study was to examine whether residential mobility disrupts work ties. Data from a two-wave community study of the stress and support in families with young children in Syracuse, New York were analyzed, focusing on mobility distance, mobility frequency, kin presence in the network, and change in networks over time. Mobility distance was a predictor of network distance: respondents who had moved longer distances had networks that were more dispersed, and local movers had networks that were more proximate. In general, beackground characteristics explained more variance in networks than did mobility factors. Longitudinal analyses revealed that long-distance movers experienced an increase in network distance over the 3 years between waves and that the short-term effect of local moves on network proximity became non-significant. Mobility frequency had no significant effects on networks, net of controls, in either cross-sectional or longitudinal analyses. The longitudinal analyses suggest the importance of studying change in networks. The distance effects suggest that residential mobility cannot automatically be used as an indicator of social deficits.
Summary of main points: The study asked five main questions:
1. Do movers have fewer social ties?
2. Do movers have social ties that are geographically dispersed?
3. Do movers have social ties that are more kin-dominated?
4. How do the social ties of movers change over time?
The data came from an NIH-funded project called Family Matters, conducted by Cornell U. in 1978-79 with a followup in 1981 (note this was done before the proliferation of the Internet). This is a secondary analysis of this data. Analysis focused on young mothers with children.
Answers:
1. Mobility was related to network distance but not network size, suggesting that people who moved had more dispersed networks but these networks were similar size to stayers' networks - i.e. moving did not prompt people to have larger networks.
2. Overall there was no long-term change in networks over time following an earlier period of adjustment.
Overall, the study suggests that geographic proximity is not a requirement for having vital social ties. However, the study also showed that over time networks of movers became more distant due to the moves of their network members, suggesting that people who move tend to have relationships with other people who are likely to move. This, in turn, suggests a strong relationship between individual characteristics and propensity to move.
Another important insight of this study is that movers who primarily made local moves had networks that were much closer than those that made long distance moves. This suggests that residential mobility does have an impact on residential mobility allowing long distance movers to create more distributed networks than stayers or local movers. This is contrary to conclusions made by Wellman (1979) from the study of East Yorkers.
Related work: Magdol (2002) Is moving gendered? The effects of residential mobility on the psychological well-being of men and women. Sex Roles, V.47(11/12).
also see work by Wellman on social network distance
Source: Sage Pub
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Abstract: The objective of this study was to examine whether residential mobility disrupts work ties. Data from a two-wave community study of the stress and support in families with young children in Syracuse, New York were analyzed, focusing on mobility distance, mobility frequency, kin presence in the network, and change in networks over time. Mobility distance was a predictor of network distance: respondents who had moved longer distances had networks that were more dispersed, and local movers had networks that were more proximate. In general, beackground characteristics explained more variance in networks than did mobility factors. Longitudinal analyses revealed that long-distance movers experienced an increase in network distance over the 3 years between waves and that the short-term effect of local moves on network proximity became non-significant. Mobility frequency had no significant effects on networks, net of controls, in either cross-sectional or longitudinal analyses. The longitudinal analyses suggest the importance of studying change in networks. The distance effects suggest that residential mobility cannot automatically be used as an indicator of social deficits.
Summary of main points: The study asked five main questions:
1. Do movers have fewer social ties?
2. Do movers have social ties that are geographically dispersed?
3. Do movers have social ties that are more kin-dominated?
4. How do the social ties of movers change over time?
The data came from an NIH-funded project called Family Matters, conducted by Cornell U. in 1978-79 with a followup in 1981 (note this was done before the proliferation of the Internet). This is a secondary analysis of this data. Analysis focused on young mothers with children.
Answers:
1. Mobility was related to network distance but not network size, suggesting that people who moved had more dispersed networks but these networks were similar size to stayers' networks - i.e. moving did not prompt people to have larger networks.
2. Overall there was no long-term change in networks over time following an earlier period of adjustment.
Overall, the study suggests that geographic proximity is not a requirement for having vital social ties. However, the study also showed that over time networks of movers became more distant due to the moves of their network members, suggesting that people who move tend to have relationships with other people who are likely to move. This, in turn, suggests a strong relationship between individual characteristics and propensity to move.
Another important insight of this study is that movers who primarily made local moves had networks that were much closer than those that made long distance moves. This suggests that residential mobility does have an impact on residential mobility allowing long distance movers to create more distributed networks than stayers or local movers. This is contrary to conclusions made by Wellman (1979) from the study of East Yorkers.
Related work: Magdol (2002) Is moving gendered? The effects of residential mobility on the psychological well-being of men and women. Sex Roles, V.47(11/12).
also see work by Wellman on social network distance
posted by Q at 09:22
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