Personal Networks and Changing Openness Toward Immigrants: Social Network Analysis Measurement Versus Traditional Survey Instrument of Personal Networks

Recent literature underlines the surprising integrative role of the family (DiPrete et al., 2011). The
growing heterogeneity of families produce family based social networks that are less segregated on a
number of dimensions than are other social circles. Heterogeneous family networks might favor
changing norms and more open attitudes. The aim of this paper consists in comparing two
instruments measuring family networks and in testing their predictive power on norms and attitudes
such as the openness towards immigrants. In MOSAiCH2013 survey, including both ISSP modules
2012 and 2013 in Switzerland, respondents were asked to answer to two distinct personal network
instruments. The first one has a classical survey format and consist to interview respondents on the
proportion of immigrants in their family network, on the frequency of contact with the immigrants in
their family networks and on the quality of their relationships with them. The second instrument
follows a social network analyses perspective, letting respondents define themselves the boundaries
of their family network, asking about several characteristics of the networks members, such as their
nationalities, and finally measuring the complex web of relationships between networks members.
Results are discussed in the perspective of the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches.