Doctoral Dissertation Research: Social Networks, Social Influence, and Cultural Meanings

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SES#: 1003419PI: Lynn Smith-LovinCo-PI: Kimberly B. RogersDuke UniversityThis research examines the relationship between patterns of social interaction and shared social meaning. There are two studies which (1) explore the relationship between structural position, social connectedness, and patterns of social meaning, and (2) examine meaning change as a result of the social influence dynamics operating through interpersonal interaction. In the first study, respondents will complete some questionnaires measuring their affective meanings for various identity groups, their ties to various parts of the social structure, and their personal socio-demographic position. This will help demonstrate variation across the social structure in cultural meanings and identify some features of social structure associated with meaning consensus. In the second study, respondents will participate in an experimentally simulated social interaction, which will measure the effects of group deliberation on respondents' social meanings. This will allow us to parse out some potential mechanisms of meaning formation and change, with particular focus on the role of social influence processes. BROADER IMPACTS: This project has the potential to transform researchers' conceptualizations and measurement of social meaning as well as extend knowledge on the relevance of social networks to leading theories of identity. Further, by identifying mechanisms of meaning formation and change, this research can inform policymakers' strategies for the management of social issues related to group differences in cultural beliefs, for example, stigmatization, intergroup conflict, and acculturation.