Different Strokes from Different Folks: Community Ties and Social Support

Wellman, Barry; Wortley, Scot

doi:10.1086/229572

Cited by 1,618 publications

(1,170 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…However, communities contain multiple networks that are defined by different types of relationships. Individuals might ask for advice from one subset of their community, look for companionship with another subset, and seek emotional support from a third subset (12)(13)(14)(15). This means that an individual could occupy a central role in one type of network, but hold a more peripheral position in a different type of network (2).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Empathy and well-being correlate with centrality in different social networks

Morelli

Ong

Makati

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

106

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Individuals benefit from occupying central roles in social networks, but little is known about the psychological traits that predict centrality. Across four college freshman dorms (n = 193), we characterized individuals with a battery of personality questionnaires and also asked them to nominate dorm members with whom they had different types of relationships. This revealed several social networks within dorm communities with differing characteristics. In particular, additional data showed that networks varied in the degree to which nominations depend on (i) trust and (ii) shared fun and excitement. Networks more dependent upon trust were further defined by fewer connections than those more dependent on fun. Crucially, network and personality features interacted to predict individuals' centrality: people high in well-being (i.e., life satisfaction and positive emotion) were central to networks characterized by fun, whereas people high in empathy were central to networks characterized by trust. Together, these findings provide network-based corroboration of psychological evidence that well-being is socially attractive, whereas empathy supports close relationships. More broadly, these data highlight how an individual's personality relates to the roles that they play in sustaining their community.social networks | empathy | well-being | centrality | personality I n a community, certain individuals take central roles and are sought out by others for advice, support, fun, and companionship. Central individuals substantially impact the health and well-being of their community (1-4), for example, by reducing stress and generating opportunities for other community members (5). Who comes to occupy these central network positions? Recent research suggests that individuals' personalities influence their ability to attract social ties (6-11),* but this personality-centrality relationship may vary depending on the type of connection that one uses to define a network. For example, extraverts become more central than introverts in networks defined by friendship (6).Past work generally focuses on the relationship between a single personality trait (e.g., extraversion) and centrality in a single network (e.g., friendship networks). However, communities contain multiple networks that are defined by different types of relationships. Individuals might ask for advice from one subset of their community, look for companionship with another subset, and seek emotional support from a third subset (12)(13)(14)(15). This means that an individual could occupy a central role in one type of network, but hold a more peripheral position in a different type of network (2). We study this by first mapping several networks within a community and then by assessing a person's position in a network with respect to a broad array of personality traits. This allows us to identify the features of an individual that predict their centrality in various types of networks.Previous psychological research suggests that an individual's personality might relate t...

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Empathy and well-being correlate with centrality in different social networks

Morelli

Ong

Makati

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

106

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“…Relationships with network members living nearby are considered an important source of instrumental support, especially in later life (Wellman & Wortley, 1990;Wenger, 1990). Most tasks involved in instrumental support require face-to-face contact, which is accomplished more readily by neighbors (Litwak & Szelenyi, 1969).…”

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confidence: 99%

Continuation of exchange with neighbors in later life: The importance of the neighborhood context

Thomése

Tilburg

Knipscheer

2003

Personal Relationships

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Relationships with neighbors are considered exchange relationships, in which the continuation of exchanges depends on balance in previous exchanges. Our study tested whether this is the case. An exchange relationship implies that neighbor relationships are isolated units. We expected, however, that neighborhood integration also affects the continuation of exchange among neighbors. Data were from a longitudinal study among 1,692 independently living Dutch adults of ages 55 to 85 years at baseline and their 7,415 relationships with proximate network members. At a four-year follow-up, both perceived balance and neighborhood integration at baseline increased the chance of instrumental support exchange occurring. We concluded that it is too limited to view relationships between neighbors as exchange relationships, as these relationships are embedded in larger communities, where such communities exist.

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“…Nonetheless, in a number of areas, they represent important sources of support and are attributed with the power to enhance the reach and cohesion of social relations. They act, for example, as an effective conduit for accessing valuable job opportunities [20][21][22] and for the urban poor in 'making it from one day to the next' [23]. The experience of chronic illness literature implicitly suggests that less intimate, more distanced contacts ('network of networks') may offer preferential or different facets of support [24].…”

Section: Mapping Weak Tie Involvement In Chronic Illness Relationshipsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptation Experience and Social Support Network of Adolescent Cancer Survivors

Cho¹,

Park²

2017

Child Health Nurs Res

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Background: The distribution of the roles and responsibilities of long-term condition management (LTCM) outside of formal health services implicates a wide set of relationships and activities of involvement. Yet, compared to studies of professional implementation, patient systems of implementation remain under-investigated. The aim of this paper is to explore the work, meaning and function attributed to 'weaker' ties relative to other more bonding relationships in order to identify the place of these within a context of systems of support for long-term conditions. Methods: This is a mixed methods survey with nested qualitative study. A total of 300 people from deprived areas in the North West of England with chronic illnesses took part in a survey conducted in 2010 to 2011. A concentric circles diagram was used as a research tool with which participants identified 2,544 network members who contributed to illness management. Notions of 'work' were used to describe activities associated with chronic illness and to identify how weaker ties are included and perceived to be involved through social network members (SNM) contributions. Results:The results provide an articulation of how SNMs are substantially involved in weak tie illness management. Weaker ties constituted 16.1% of network membership involved in illness work. The amount of work undertaken was similar but less than that of stronger ties. Weaker ties appeared more durable and less liable to loss over time than stronger ties. The qualitative accounts suggested that weak ties enabled the moral positioning of the self-managing 'self' and acted on the basis of a strong sense of reciprocity.

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Different Strokes from Different Folks: Community Ties and Social Support

Cited by 1,618 publications

References 48 publications

Empathy and well-being correlate with centrality in different social networks

Empathy and well-being correlate with centrality in different social networks

Continuation of exchange with neighbors in later life: The importance of the neighborhood context

Adaptation Experience and Social Support Network of Adolescent Cancer Survivors

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