What do you think the worldwide social network looks like?

Asked by LostInParadise (31924

) August 9th, 2009

One of the tools used by anthropologists studying small groups is to ask everyone who they associate with and then use some mathematics to determine the various social networks. Even in a small group the results can be rather interesting.

It will never happen for quite a number of reasons, but suppose the same thing were done nationwide or worldwide. What kinds of patterns would turn up? How strongly are social networks influenced by geography, income, education, occupation,religion, ethnicity and race?

I would guess that geography is a big factor, though not as much as in tribal societies. If Internet associations are factored in, geography would be somewhat less of a factor.

I am certain income would be a factor. I would be curious to know if the income factor is uniform or if there are noticeable islands of contact. My hunch is that the very rich and the very poor are strongly isolated from everyone else.

I think race would be a factor, even after filtering out income, but that it would be less of a factor than it used to be.

Sometimes I get the feeling that we live in rather tight networks. For example, it is not all that unusual to meet someone and discover that you have a mutual acquaintance.

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5 Answers

mashed potato

noodle_poodle (1614

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It’s a good question, and a very big one.

In the West, I think monetary/social differences can vanish if social circumstances become powerful enough, i.e. upper-middle class people taking blue-collar jobs.

The internet ‘social circles’ are really like theatre, the pretense of “knowing” people you will never really meet or get to know. There are of course exceptions to this.

In some cultures, it is among the most seemingly cohesive peoples that the deepest schisms exist. In Haiti, among the different ‘classes’, you are judged acutely by the shade of your skin. Darker is lower-class.

I think time and circumstance are bigger barriers than most. Again and again we have seen examples of people from the most diverse opposite cultures getting together and communicating effortlessly, sometimes even across the language problems, due to universally shared things, like food and music, or due to universal institutions, like marriage.

I am not thinking this through enough right now to give a more comprehensive answer, but your post is stimulating.

Cosmic (2

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I think you’re right about the income- having enough money to own a mobile or a landline or the internet would play a big part in the networks you make, as opposed to someone who didn’t have these things, they might be limited to just their family and neighbourhood/local community.
I like the six degrees of separation thing.

shrubbery (10326

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Warm giblet gravy

bcstrummer (302

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There is a program which allows you to do a web nexxus of what your friends on FaceBook look like – I did for mine & was surprised @ the results – not sure if the same thing is possible to categorize all web users overall but it would be great to see & explore it

Jenniehowell (2214

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