2. 1. 6 social networking theory
The study of proliferation is now at the social networking level. Although in rogers ' theory of innovation diffusion, he did not establish a systematic innovation proliferation theory based on social networks, this was mentioned. Rogers, in his 1976 edition of new product adoption and proliferation, referred to the web-based analysis of the social structures that influence the spread of innovation。
In short, social networks can be described as the structure of the relationship between the actors (forest gathering, 2009). In the theory of social networking, the different cultural backgrounds of the east and the west lead to very different research perspectives on social relations and social networks, and we therefore discuss separately: social networking in the western cultural context and social networking in the chinese cultural context。
2. 1. 6. 1 social networking research in western cultural contexts
The classic discourse of social network theory in the context of western culture includes: the theory of weak relationships in granovette; the theory of social capital in linan; the theory of a structural hole in bert; and the concept of human distance。
The intensity of weak ties, published by the american sociologist granovette in 1973, suggests that the intensity of relationships consists of four dimensions: the time spent (frequency of contact), the intensity of emotions, the degree of intimacy (reliance of mutual trust), the input of reciprocal services, and, depending on these four dimensions, the weakness of relationships, which are seen in the social system as mainly linked to groups, within organizations and between groups and organizations. Granovette believes that weak relationships are better able to access information and other resources than strong ones, and validates this by looking for work: weak relationships are important information bridges that help people find jobs。
United states sociologist roNald burt introduced the structural hole theory in his representation, structure hole: the social structure of competition (translation 2008). Structural holes refer to “non-duplicative relationships between two people in relationship”, a phenomenon of direct or interlocking social networks that appear as a web-based structure. In other words, not all nodes of social networks are directly linked, and this structural hole creates information and control advantages for those who have a connection advantage in the network. In a network, for example, intermediaries who connect the other two and are in the middle of both networks are those who have a connection advantage, so that individuals in organizations and organizations try to gain access to intermediaries in structural holes and, in order to maintain this connection advantage, intermediaries try to control the transmission of information between the other and not link them easily, thereby maintaining a competitive advantage of intermediaries over members in the rest of the network。
The social capital theory of linan (2005), an american chinese sociologist, is the same as bert's structural hole theory of utilitarian networking, i. E. Focusing on the reward of the network, its contribution to status. With regard to social capital, linan is defined as “social capital is a returnable investment of resources embedded in social network relationships”. Linan believes that social resources embedded in an individual's social network (including power, wealth and prestige) are acquired through individual social relationships. If the target of the weak relationship is in a higher position than the actor, the weak relationship of the actor would bring him more social resources than the strong relationship。
The american anthropologist hall introduced the concept of human distance. In his view, interpersonal distance was the result of interpersonal interaction, i. E. It was highly related to interpersonal relationships. He studied interpersonal distance in different cultural contexts, suggesting that “space also speaks” and divided it into four regions based on a combination of spatial distance and interpersonal relationships:
1 intimate distance (0-18in) is usually used between parents and children, lovers or lovers, where each can feel the other's intimate irritation, such as smell, breath and body temperature。
2 individual distance areas (1. 5-4ft) are generally used between friends, when people speak softly and can sense a great deal of body language information。
3 social distance (4-12 ft) between individuals with an open relationship rather than a private relationship, such as a superior relationship, a customer-seller, a doctor-patient, etc。
4 public distance areas (12-25ft), between individuals for official interaction or between strangers, all of which are social standards or customs (song choon, 2008)。
2. 1. 6. 2 research on social networks in the context of chinese culture
The classic discourse of social networking theory in the context of chinese culture includes the theory of the differential patterns of fyotuan, a series of studies at yang's national centre, and a series of studies by yanjie and others。
The theory of differential patterns is the cornerstone of the analysis of social networking in china. Fahrenheit has built a self-centred model of social relations - the pattern of differentiation. According to faisal zhuihong, china's native society is based on patriarchal groups and human relations are linked to a network that focuses on kinship and is a “sequence pattern”. This “discretion pattern” describes the inter-personal pattern of intimacy of the chinese, with each person woven his or her own network at its centre, extending it to form a circle of ripples around it, which allows for the division of social ties according to the distance of the ripples (near his or her distance) (fifty philanthropy, 1997)。
In a series of studies on chinese character, behaviour, modernity, social orientation, etc., the yang guo chong discussed the social relations of chinese people (yi yiing, 2002), suggesting that the social orientation of chinese people has four main characteristics: family orientation, relationship orientation, authority orientation and other orientations (lulu, 2007). In the theoretical model of “humanity and dignity”, huanggwang and hu cheon xian (2010) distinguish between human relations in chinese society as “emotional relations”, “mixed sexual relations” and “tool relations”。
Zinjie et al. Analysed social networking issues such as social networks and occupational mobility (2001), social capital (2004), structural barriers, institutional transformation and resource content (2006) and relationship sociology (2010). Among them, the study by yanjie and zhang wenhong (2001) provided a perspective contrary to the study on weak relationships in granovette. In their view, the social network of occupational migrants consisted mainly of two types of strong relationships between relatives and friends, and the social network functioned in the form of a human face supported by messages. In other words, the transmission of information in chinese society is often the result of exchanges of human relations, which are often strong rather than weak. As a result, strong relationships play a more “strength” role than weak ones in the movement of jobs in china。
As a result, chinese consumer behaviour has distinct group characteristics。
