Children’s Network Affiliations and Friendships in China, United States, and Indonesia; Similarities and Differences

• In Event: 2-070 - Considering the Impact of Social Context and Group Norms Across Cultures

Integrative Statement

In addition to friendships, the importance of network affiliations is becoming increasingly understood. The structure of both friendships and networks differ across cultures. In this study, we compare networks and friendships of fifth grade children living in the US, Indonesia, and China. Our comparisons focus on the structure of these relationship contexts, specifically size, gender homogeneity, the presence of isolates, and the homogeneity of academic status. In addition, we focus cultural variation in extent to which networks and friendships similarly predict concurrent and longitudinal academic success.

Method

Fifth grade children (1,611) were recruited from the medium size cities and large urban areas in the US, Indonesia, and China. They were initially assessed in winter and reassessed approximately six months later.

Network membership was obtained using Social Cognitive Mapping, which required youths to specify the affiliates of themselves and others (Cairns et al., 1985). Mutual friendships were obtained from unlimited nominations of classroom friends. Academic grades (i.e., mathematics and language) were obtained from school records.

Results

Size: The number of network affiliates in Indonesia were greater than those of China which in turn were greater than those in the US. US children had more mutual friends than Chinese children and Chinese children had more friends than Indonesian children.

Gender homogeneity: Indonesia friendships and networks were less heterogeneous with regard to gender than were those in China. US friendships and networks were the most heterogeneous.

Isolates: Networks: China had the most network isolates followed by the US and then by Indonesia. China also had more children without friends than either the US or Indonesia (these did not differ).

Academic Homophily: The networks of US and Chinese children were more homogenous than Indonesian children. Chinese friendships were more homogenous than those of the US and Indonesian youth.

Academic success. The academic success of friendship was concurrently associated with children’s academic success in all countries, but these effects were largest for the US. Academic success of network affiliates predicted change in academic success of children over a six month period for Indonesian and Chinese but not US children. The longitudinal effects of friendship were significant only for Indonesia.

Conclusions

Some evidence of parallel structural features of friendships and networks across countries. This is seen in gender composition, presence of isolates, and academic homophily. There were cultural differences in structural features of networks and friendships.

Differences in the size of networks and number of friends emerged. Indonesian social structures are based connectedness to large networks with a de-emphasis on dyadic friendships. In contrast, dyadic friendships are more important in the US and China.

Both friendships and networks are likely to be important in explaining children’s academic success, although this may differ by country and may also vary as a function whether concurrent or longitudinal associations are considered. Affiliations, both friendships and networks, may influence attitudes toward school and learning and may also afford children opportunities to learn from each other through engagement in study groups.

Authors

• Mengqian Shen, Purdue University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Urip Purwono, Universitas Padjadjaran
  Non-Presenting Author

• Junsheng Liu, East China Normal University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Dan Li, Shanghai Normal University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Siman Zhao, Purdue University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Xinyin Chen, University of Pennsylvania
  Non-Presenting Author

• Shenghua Jin, Fuzhou University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Scott Gest, Pennsylvania State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Doran French, Purdue University
  Presenting Author