I. Objective
l To identify the social network features of left-behind children in
rural area of China
l To compare the social network features of left-behind children and
non-left-behind children and try to find some potential patterns
l To provide solid reference and clues to improve the social network
abilities of left-behind children
II. Situation and Problems
It is
estimated that about 250 million migrant workers pour into cities from rural
areas for good income in China. These workers typically live in dormitories,
tents or low-quality houses and their children rarely move with their parents due
to limit access to cities’ education, medical insurance for their rural children.
So estimated 61 million children grow up in their original birth region without
one or both of their parents. Only during very important holidays, these
migrant workers make the long trek to reunite with their children just for
several days.
There
are many researches indicating that it seems that the left-behind children are
vulnerable to psychological disorder and easily to become “problem children” because
they cannot frequently relate to their parents and grown up emotionally
detached. But few researches dig deeply the networks of left-behind children
and I consider that SNAs is expected to bring valuable insight about the
development of left-behind children.
I
would like to use SNAs to try to answer the following questions:
1.
Any possible differences in social networks among left-behind children
and non-left-behind children?
2.
Do Left-behind children hold limited networks?
3.
What’s the implication of these different social networks, especially
for left-behind children?
4. What
can be done to improve the development situations of left-behind children?
That’s to say, what the teachers and the guardians of these left-behind
children can do?
III. Action Plan
1. Survey boundary decision
According
to my understanding of NSAs, it is vital to decide the boundary of network.
Many roles, such as parents, grandparents, friends, teachers and neighbors,
have an important effect on left-behind children. Such networks are too broad
to be analyzed deeply. I would like to limit my survey to be all students of
one class in different middle schools and analyze the network status of all the
students in the same class. For one thing, the boundary of network is clear and
is relatively remove any external factors; for another, the results can be
comparable for different class’ data. More important is that such network can objectively
reflect every student’s network development status.
2. Data Collection
I plan
to finish 10 classes survey. The key information of every sample includes:
l Gender
l Age
l Class/Grade
l Guardian Status (will be
classified: living with mom only, living with father only, living with
grandparents, living with brothers/sisters)
l Communication frequency with other
students, academically
l Communication frequency with other
students, socially
3. Result Analysis
Based
on the valid data, I will use the SNAs to do analysis in the below.
l Whole-Network
measures, such as
density, distance
l
Centrality measures
l
Components and factions
l
Ego network analysis, especially for the
typical students
IV. Expected Results
Although
the network could be affected by other factors, such as personality, I consider
that the SNAs will provide the insightful and clear picture of social network
of left-behind children. Considering that the social network ability is very
vital for the healthy development of these left-behind children and their future
career, the SNAs will provide valuable reference for the educators and
guardians to think how to better take care of these children.
Reference:
1.
Left-Behind Children of China's Migrant Workers Bear Grown-Up Burdens:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304173704579260900849637692?mg=id-wsj
2.
China raises a generation of 'left-behind' children
3.
Mom and Dad: Strangers to millions of Chinese kids
1 comment:
Interesting idea. You need to think more about what network question to ask, one that's more child-appropriate, and about how to use SNA measures meaningfully in order to make a distinction between "left-behind" children and others.
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