A tight social network I belong to consists of friends from a summer camp I attended as a camper and counselor. The friendships from this camp were made as a camper and developed into a broad social network during time spent as a counselor. We have developed a pseudo-fraternity over the years. Our network is a “Gemeinschaft” because it is based on strong ties, commonality, reciprocity, and identity. Our community also uses CMC to stay in touch using email-lists, fantasy sports online, and Facebook groups. The strong ties that have been developed are great friendships. The weak ties include friends’ social networks at college and from home as well as camp-alumni ties. The strong ties provide day-to-day interactions and support whereas the weak ties continue to exist, but in the background of life, and will continue to be there as the relationships develop in the future.
Our common ground as counselors was anchored in that most of us attended the camp as campers together. We all care about the camp and want to keep the traditions of the camp alive. We want the camp to exist to provide other kids with the same great experiences that the camp provided for us. Another major similar characteristic is that most of us were Jewish.
With regard to language and identity, we often have a “catch phrase” of the summer and use phrases that come about from spending 7 weeks out of the year with one-another. Phrases such as “kick back”, “be safe”, “you won’t do it”, have become standard in our vocabulary and help connect us. Songs by Yes and Bruce Springsteen have become camp traditions, and many other traditions exist. We have an established identity as “brothers” similar to a fraternity and our friends from home and college know about this close network. This makes those home-friends and college-friends weak ties to our social network.
We have developed close friendships to the point where we all truly care about each other. Not only are we there to support each other during tough times, but we also promote the notion of having good times together. We are all in college and want to have the best experiences of our lives. Some of the best college weekends have been visiting camp friends and inviting friends back to Cornell to have a fun weekend. Several of us keep in touch through a fantasy football league on cbs.sportsline.com and on the message board we often post funny stories from weekends spent with each other. This helps us keep in touch online.
Online, we can also email each other about events and alumni sometimes send emails about job opportunities. This does not replace face-to-face contact as we all try to see each other and communicate face-to-face during the year, but the ftf contact is usually in a friendly/fun atmosphere such as visiting each other at colleges. Facebook groups promote our inside jokes and communications throughout the year as well. The Facebook groups make sure everybody in the group is recognized and represented. This has helped our network grow even closer, and allows us to “friend” weak ties.
Our common ground as counselors was anchored in that most of us attended the camp as campers together. We all care about the camp and want to keep the traditions of the camp alive. We want the camp to exist to provide other kids with the same great experiences that the camp provided for us. Another major similar characteristic is that most of us were Jewish.
With regard to language and identity, we often have a “catch phrase” of the summer and use phrases that come about from spending 7 weeks out of the year with one-another. Phrases such as “kick back”, “be safe”, “you won’t do it”, have become standard in our vocabulary and help connect us. Songs by Yes and Bruce Springsteen have become camp traditions, and many other traditions exist. We have an established identity as “brothers” similar to a fraternity and our friends from home and college know about this close network. This makes those home-friends and college-friends weak ties to our social network.
We have developed close friendships to the point where we all truly care about each other. Not only are we there to support each other during tough times, but we also promote the notion of having good times together. We are all in college and want to have the best experiences of our lives. Some of the best college weekends have been visiting camp friends and inviting friends back to Cornell to have a fun weekend. Several of us keep in touch through a fantasy football league on cbs.sportsline.com and on the message board we often post funny stories from weekends spent with each other. This helps us keep in touch online.
Online, we can also email each other about events and alumni sometimes send emails about job opportunities. This does not replace face-to-face contact as we all try to see each other and communicate face-to-face during the year, but the ftf contact is usually in a friendly/fun atmosphere such as visiting each other at colleges. Facebook groups promote our inside jokes and communications throughout the year as well. The Facebook groups make sure everybody in the group is recognized and represented. This has helped our network grow even closer, and allows us to “friend” weak ties.
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Comm 245 Blue: 7 -"A Better Chance" Social Network Analysis (SNA)
Comm 245 Blue: 7.1 My High School Community
4 comments:
I can totally echo what Mitch Chubinsky said. Summer camp is entirely face to face, and than the close relationships make the 180 degree switch to entirely CMC. I think it's great how closely nit your community is and how it stays connected through-out the year, and you do a great analysis of this in your blog.
In my experience, however, I wouldn't call my camp experience "Gemeinschaft" because when we go into CMC mode, we are still held together by our common ground and camp identity, we don't necessarily stay as close on the off-season. But once we find ourselves back at camp, everything falls right back into place.
Daniel,
First off, putting a picture up along with your blog is a very good, not to mention catchy, idea. Now to the good stuff. I agree with what you are saying about the strong and weak ties your camp has given you and has branched off amongst other friends. A question kept popping into my head while reading your blog: is it possible to have strong ties with people only for parts of a year (when you are with them those seven weeks of camp) but then the time when you do not see them and your contact is via the internet (through Facebook, for instance) the ties weaken? My basis for this is that while you are not in contact with these people face-to-face you rely on your past experiences to “hold together” the “strong bond” even though, yes you are capable to have in depth conversations and share laughs, etc. the communication is “broken” because it is asynchronous and from that could be seen more as a casual mode of communication versus a conversation in person.
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