A Study on Social Conflicts & Difficulties in Social Networks

Have you ever experienced or felt at some point that you feel a strong drive to be always online in your social network and that you are compelled to know what is happening? Have you ever experienced looking forward to read on what your friends have to say online? And sometimes you get frustrated because what you are hoping is not happening.

In this experiment, we will explore personal and impersonal issues and difficulties taking place in the popular social networks we deal with, we cling to, we bum around in and where we spend about 30%-40% of our daily routine or time.


EXPERIMENT NO. 4: CONFLICTS/DIFFICULTY OF RELATIONSHIPS IN SOCIAL NETWORKS

This experiment is an adaptation of a prior study made by David Fono and Kate Raynes-Goldie about friendship and social norms in Livejournal. Refer to http://k4t3.org/publications/hyperfriendship.pdf

This experiment will require Soc-med student groups to look seriously on the social norms, friendships and friending, and other connections taking place in the present social networking sphere.

Objectives:

1.to determine the different types of friendships emanating at present (2010-2011), use of concept maps are encouraged;
2.to describe and give examples of these prevalent friendships (you may use the terminologies of Fono and Goldie if you wish);
3.to discuss and explain the personal satisfaction and gratification of having online social relationships;
4.to provide examples of familiar and evolving social norms taking place;
5.to use an exclusive interview of individuals working outside the academic environment as the primary source of data and testimonies;
6.to extract common disagreements, conflicts, problems that take place in the course of expanding/reducing friendships and connections;
7.to have a discourse of the causes of the difficulties of managing social relationships and the changes in social norms;
8.to make an in-depth group analysis of this study.

Choices of social networks for the study: Facebook, Twitter, Second Life, Tumblr, Blogger

Preliminary requirement:
Questionnaire draft, Feb. 28/March 2
Final questionnaire, Mar. 7
Subjects for the study/experiment, Mar. 7

Mechanics:
1.Find two persons that will serve as the subject and source of information for the experiment. Study groups should assure the subjects that strict confidentiality will be observed to protect the interests of the subjects.
2.The subjects to be selected should come from any of the following work environments --- outsourcing company or contact center, professional overseas Filipino workers, IT consulting company, media and advertising.
3.Arrange a conducive time for a thorough and personal interview. Explain to your subject that the interview will be recorded on video and that it will be used for academic purposes only. The subjects will never be exposed without their consents.
4.Soc-med groups will have to prepare a confidentiality agreement which will be signed by all the members.
5.The interview should properly introduce the subjects as well as the members of the group as interviewers.
6.Soc-med groups should ensure that guide questions have been prepared in advance. Soc-med groups may also bring some example pages of the social network for clarity of discussion and better understanding of the topic.
7.Make an in-depth analysis of the social norms and friendships as expressed by the subjects through the conversations.

Note: No oral report will be required. The paper should be able to stand by itself as if conferring to the reader. The paper should provide the reader a set of concrete example of friendships taking place, social norms evolving, conflicts/problems encountered by the subjects as subscribers of the social network.


Due Date of the Paper and the Interview: March 14, 2011. All submissions will include a stapled report with cover page and the CD containing the document and the interview. The paper and the CD are to be placed in a short plastic envelope, labeled with the names of the members and the section and the date of submission.

Submit the experiment to Ms. Hazel on or before March 14, not later than 3pm.

This experiment is worth 15% of the final grade.