Conference Agenda

When two individuals form a couple, they often share their daily lives and experiences; they also share, at least in part, their relational entourages. The literature has shown that the formation of a couple redefines the roles of each individual, leading to significant changes in relationships and networks. We can thus observe a dynamic of extension of one or both spouses’ network, as well as a dynamic of withdrawal into the couple’s network. Either way, the personal network of each spouse is modified.

Couple's sociability can be observed either through a network of couples interviewed together or separately, or through a personal network of just one of the spouses. If we apply a methodology that takes into account both individuals forming the couple, we obtain a complete picture of the network. In our work, a couple's network has been reconstructed a posteriori from the aggregation of the two personal networks collected. The results presented here are based on the analysis of ten duocentric networks combining the personal networks of the two cohabiting spouses interviewed separately. The study of these relational configurations questions the composition of a couple's network and its structure. They also reveal each spouse's position in the couple's network. Moreover, by observing the level of connection or disconnection of their respective alters, the analysis of these configurations enables us to grasp the extent to which the personal network of each spouse is dependent on the couple’s network.

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted primary healthcare (PHC) systems worldwide, exacerbating pre-existing health vulnerabilities. In Indonesia, where child malnutrition remains a persistent challenge, these disruptions have reshaped the structural and functional dynamics of healthcare delivery. This study employs a qualitative social network analysis (SNA) approach to explore how healthcare providers navigated disruptions, adapted service provision, and maintained critical networks in malnutrition care during the pandemic crisis. Using semi-structured interviews with healthcare staff from six PHC centers, so called 'puskesmas', in the Sleman Regency of the Yogyakarta Special Region, we analyzed pandemic-induced shifts in communication, coordination, and resource-sharing networks. Our analysis identifies three core themes: network disruptions (e.g., fragmentation of provider-patient communication, supply chain breakdowns, and weakened inter-facility collaboration), network impacts (e.g., reduced patient access, increased provider workload, and declining trust in healthcare institutions), and network adaptations (e.g., digital solutions for service continuity, community-based monitoring strategies, and strengthened inter-organizational linkages). Findings highlight the critical role of social networks in healthcare resilience during crises. While top-down disruptions initially fragmented service delivery, bottom-up adaptations - leveraging informal provider networks and digital innovations - helped mitigate systemic breakdowns. The study underscores the need for network-informed policy interventions to enhance health system preparedness and equity in service access. By integrating SNA into global health crisis response frameworks, we provide a novel lens for understanding the relational mechanisms that shape health system resilience in resource-constrained settings.

This study examines the network structure and the meanings embedded in the connections fostered by digitalization within Indonesia's student movement, specifically the #DarkIndonesia movement in February 2025. Historically, student movements in Indonesia have played a pivotal role in shaping political change, as seen in the regime transitions of 1966 and 1998. In August 2024, students, alongside the general public, mobilized under the banner of #IndonesiaEmergencyAlert to successfully prevent attempts by political elites to manipulate the legal system. In February 2025, Generation Z students launched the #DarkIndonesia movement to voice their concerns about the governance of the new administration. Digital platforms emerged as crucial mediums for organizing and amplifying the movement. This study builds upon conversation analysis conducted by Drone Emprit, a research unit, to investigate how participants in the movement use language to structure and assign meaning to their digital interactions. Through in-depth interviews with student participants, participant observation, and content analysis, this research explores the dynamics of the movement's digital networks, the social significance of these interactions, and the impact of digital platforms on both the structure of these networks and the meanings attributed to the connections within them.

Understanding how networks evolve and change is a key question that many network research projects address through a variety of research topics. Understanding the dynamics of networks is not just a matter of using a particular type of methodical approach, but requires a theoretical and methodological framework to maintain the analytical focus. Qualitative Network Research offers the following premises for approaching questions of network dynamics from a qualitative research perspective: Relationships are not fixed entities, but form and change as they are embedded in a structure of relationships (in interaction with other relationships and contexts) as networks form. As a result, Qualitative Network Research aims at understanding the meanings of relationships and their structural embeddedness, as well as the consequences for social interaction. In short, relationships and networks can be understood as meaning-making interactive interpretations that are perspectival (social and subjective), meaningfully constructed, processual and dynamically negotiated.

In this presentation, we will discuss the premises of Qualitative Network Research and, using examples from our own research projects, show how these premises inform methodological choices focussing on understanding network dynamics.

Existing research highlights the multidimensional role of personal networks in shaping various aspects of an individual’s life, including the provision of social support and, more recently, exposure to negative influences. However, limited attention has been given to the role of social networks in facilitating wisdom acquisition, particularly in the context of international migration. This study addresses this gap by examining how personal networks contribute to the development of wisdom among Ghanaian immigrants in London, Ontario, Canada. Using a qualitative social network analysis approach and in-depth interviews with 21 participants, we investigate the social mechanisms through which wisdom is acquired in the migration experience. Participants identified up to five individuals who played a significant role in shaping their perspectives and decision-making processes. Our findings reveal that wisdom-related support primarily comes from friends, acquaintances, and colleagues established in Canada, with some participants also identifying transnational ties who have influenced their ways of thinking. Specifically, network members were instrumental in fostering open-mindedness, shaping perceptions of others, and influencing work ethic and time management, particularly in the Canadian socio-cultural context. These findings have important implications for immigrant integration, suggesting that social networks serve as important conduits of cultural and professional learning, ultimately facilitating integration and socio-economic mobility. Understanding these dynamics can inform policies and programs aimed at enhancing immigrant settlement and social cohesion by leveraging network-based wisdom transmission.

Lone parenthood is a critical life course transition that extends beyond the individual, redefining the personal network within which parents and children navigate over time. While the personal network paradigm has proved to be crucial to understanding the positive impact of personal networks on well-being during diverse family transitions (Bernardi, 2011), its application to study vulnerable processes in lone parent trajectories remains scarce and has significant limitations (Keim, 2018). This study, drawing on the 11-year Swiss data panel “The Multiple Paths of Lone Parenthood (2012-2022)” and using a mixed-methods approach combining longitudinal qualitative and quantitative ego-network data, aims to fill this gap. The study seeks to answer: How do lone parents’ personal networks contribute to overcoming vulnerability over time? Specifically, it will examine: 1) the role that the structure and composition of lone parents' personal networks play in the allocation and use of resources across life domains; 2) the life domains and types of resources most strategic provided by these networks; and 3) the subjective meaning lone parents attribute to their personal networks. We will present preliminary findings from this work-in-progress paper at the session, offering initial insights into how personal networks shape lone parent trajectories across life domains and over time.