TY - JOUR
T1 - An Adapted Structurational Framework for the Emergence of Communication Networks
AU - Pilny, Andrew
AU - Proulx, Jeffrey D.
AU - Dinh, Ly
AU - Bryan, Ann L.
PY - 2017/1/1
Y1 - 2017/1/1
N2 - Although structuration theory (ST) has endured a considerable influence in communication research across various domains, there remains a paucity of quantitative empirical research using ST as a viable framework. The purpose of this article is to develop an adapted structurational framework to explain the emergence of communication networks. The adapted framework distinguishes between relational states/events and internal/external structural rules. For analysis, we introduce multipanel relational event modeling, a technique using processual inference that can empirically demonstrate the recursive nature of system and structure. As an introductory example of both the framework and method, we examined communication, using cell-phone data, of students living in the same dormitory from September 2008 through February 2009. Our results demonstrated how different structures (i.e., perceived social relations and internal/external structural rules) are reproduced and transformed over time. Our research has implications for communication research dealing with recursivity, event-driven network analysis, the changing nature of the phone call, and the promise of computational communication science.
AB - Although structuration theory (ST) has endured a considerable influence in communication research across various domains, there remains a paucity of quantitative empirical research using ST as a viable framework. The purpose of this article is to develop an adapted structurational framework to explain the emergence of communication networks. The adapted framework distinguishes between relational states/events and internal/external structural rules. For analysis, we introduce multipanel relational event modeling, a technique using processual inference that can empirically demonstrate the recursive nature of system and structure. As an introductory example of both the framework and method, we examined communication, using cell-phone data, of students living in the same dormitory from September 2008 through February 2009. Our results demonstrated how different structures (i.e., perceived social relations and internal/external structural rules) are reproduced and transformed over time. Our research has implications for communication research dealing with recursivity, event-driven network analysis, the changing nature of the phone call, and the promise of computational communication science.
KW - Big Data
KW - Networks
KW - Relational Event Modeling
KW - Structuration
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85007164482&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85007164482&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10510974.2016.1262886
DO - 10.1080/10510974.2016.1262886
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85007164482
VL - 68
SP - 72
EP - 94
IS - 1
ER -