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RACHELLE JOY S.

POCO
BA SOCIOLOGY 1A

Integrating Network Mapping and Visualization within Migrants’ Narratives

ABSTRACT
 … the crucial role network connections play in facilitating the movement of migrants and
in serving as a resource both for the migrants settling in a new place (e.g., job and
socialization opportunities) and for those they leave behind (e.g., remittances).
 … a strategy of embedding visual tools within an in-depth interview is assessed using a
study on the support networks of Filipino nurses, domestic workers, and care workers in
London and New York.

INTRODUCTION
 The significance of social networks for migrants moving and settling in places of
destinations has been emphasized in various studies and recognized in migration
scholarship. (Cases 2020:1)
 Migrant networks are crucial for geographical mobility, destination options, integration
(and survival) in receiving societies, and transnational engagements (Faist, 2000; Gurak
& Caces, 1992; Ryan, Erel, & D’ Angelo, 2015).
 … migrant networks are taken for granted as a given instead of unpacking how “networks
are composed and structured, how they evolve over time, which resources are exchanged
through such networks, and how they are embedded in larger structures” (Cases 2020:1)
 Because of the lack of engagement between network analysis and migration research,
developments and refinements in the field of network analysis are hardly applied in
migration studies (Bashi, 2007; Boyd, 1989).
 It means that a lot of the time, people who study migration don't use methods
from network analysis, even though those methods could be really helpful.
 This paper discusses the application of a mapping and visualization tool used in social
network analysis (SNA) in exploring the composition, function, and evolution of migrant
support networks of Filipinos in New York and London. (Cases 2020:1)
 The instrument – a sociogram or network map – was employed in combination with in-
depth interviews. (Cases 2020:1)
 The goal of this piece is to present the methodological reflections concerning the
integration of network mapping and visualization within migrants’ narratives, the
design and administration of the instrument, the implications of using this tool in
the quality of data collected, and its contributions to our further understanding of
the processual and relational dimensions of migration. (Cases 2020:1)
 … an attempt at contributing to the emerging works that utilized social network
methodology in migration studies.
The Research Project and the Instrument
 The methodological reflections for this paper are derived from a doctoral research project
that compared the pre- and post-migration experiences and support networks of Filipino
nurses, domestics, and care workers in the London and New York metropolitan areas.
(Cases 2020:1)
 Examined were the ego-centric networks of 134 respondents (58 in London and 76 in
New York) in three migration phases:
 First, before coming to London or New York;
 Second, initial period of adjustment
 Third, the current network as a result of the subsequent process of settlement in
the place of destination (in total, 402 network maps).
 … dividing the migration process in three phases provided the opportunity to study
network dynamics and networking practices, albeit retrospectively. (Cases 2020:1)
 … sociogram used in the study was composed of four concentric circles with the
respondent represented as a dot in the middle. (Cases 2020:2)
 Each circle represented level of importance:
 the nearer the circle to the middle, the more important it is for the respondent.
 the last circle was for problematic ties – those who are important but in a negative way.
 Among others, these were the recruitment agencies who facilitated their move but also
swindled them.

Integrating Network Visualization and In-depth Interviewing

 Visualization can be considered as part and parcel of network studies; Moreno’s


sociogram and graph theory is a testament to that. (Cases 2020:4)
 The importance of visualization while collecting data becomes apparent in
the case of eliciting personal networks. Problems and challenges
concerning elicitation of personal network data have been well
acknowledged. (Cases 2020:4)
 …researchers noted that collecting personal network data entails a heavy
burden to the respondent (Golinelli et al.; 2010; McCarty, Killworth, &
Rennell, 2007)
 In this study, visualization is used in conjunction with in-depth interviews, and network
mapping happens within the interview itself. (Cases 2020:4)
 By using visualization during data collection, researchers can not only aid
memory recall and ease respondent burden but also gain a more accurate
and complete understanding of personal networks.
 The main advantage of embedding network maps within the interview process is that
participants’ narratives (that come out of the in-depth interview) help in ‘setting the
stage’ for network mapping. (Cases 2020:5)
Notes on Eliciting ‘Supportive’ and ‘Problematic’ Ties
 The network maps were designed to generate both supportive and problematic ties, mitigating
the possibility of omitting ‘disappointing’ connections. (Cases 2020:5)
 Embedding the network maps within the interviews further allowed the simultaneous
evaluation of the generated networks vis-à-vis the narratives of the respondents. (Cases 2020:5)
 The notion of ‘importance’ was not given a particular definition and was not delineated. (Cases
2020:5)
 This means that the respondents decided which ties were relevant in relation to
their perceived needs for each migration phase. (Cases 2020:5)
 As Ryan & Mulholland (2014: 152) suggested, “there is a need to understand the content of ties
in terms of not only the flow of resources but also of the nature of the interpersonal
relationships and relative social location of the actors involved.”
 ” It is also for this reason that the network maps were embedded within the in-depth interviews
– so that both the interviewer and interviewees could also have the space to discuss and
expound on meanings of ties, apart from support generated from them. (Cases 2020:6)

Not a Neutral Instrument


 The design of the map (e.g. dividing by places and levels of importance, as well as incorporating
‘problematic’ ties) also shaped how participants constructed their networks. (Cases 2020:6)
 Future research could alter the layout of the sociograms to emphasize the
information and topic of interest (e.g. dividing by types of support instead of
places). Integrating the maps within the interviews also created space for
dialogues between the interviewer and interviewee – making network
elicitation interactive. (Cases 2020:6)
 Comparing migrant networks in different phases highlights not only the types of support that
migrants received (or not received), but also how they form and maintain relationships in
various places – mitigating the tendency for networks to be conceptualized as static. (Cases
2020:6)
 …future studies can benefit from reinterviewing the respondents to collect additional data
points and to continue tracking the development of their networks since their circumstances will
also continue to change over time. (Cases 2020:6)
 Social network analysis provides both the perspective and tools for studying not only the links
that connect migrants and non-migrants alike in different locations, but also the processual and
relational nature of migration. (Cases 2020:6)

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