Völker Beate
Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Department of Human Geography and Planning, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Soc Networks. 2023 Jan;72:1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.socnet.2022.08.001. Epub 2022 Aug 9.
This paper studies social network changes during the COVID-19 crisis in the Netherlands and their relation to perceived loneliness for the younger and the older cohorts. Arguments from opportunity theory and social capital theory are used to formulate hypotheses on network changes during the pandemic. Core discussion networks and networks with practical helpers from two representative cohorts (18-35 years of age and 65+ years of age, n = 1342 participants in both waves) during the lockdown in May 2020 are compared with networks of the same respondents in May 2019. We find that networks became smaller and more focused on stronger ties, while weaker ties more often decayed. Feelings of loneliness incsreased on average for all respondents and in particular for those who live alone or have a disadvantaged socioeconomic position. Importantly, the decrease in the number of the practical helper network, that is, decline in relatively weaker ties, affects experiences of loneliness in both groups.
本文研究了荷兰新冠疫情危机期间的社交网络变化，以及这些变化与年轻人和老年人孤独感的关系。运用机会理论和社会资本理论的观点，对疫情期间的网络变化提出假设。将2020年5月封锁期间两个代表性群体（18至35岁和65岁以上，两波调查共有1342名参与者）的核心讨论网络和有实际帮助者的网络，与2019年5月同一批受访者的网络进行比较。我们发现，社交网络规模变小，且更集中于强关系，而弱关系则更常衰退。所有受访者的孤独感平均有所增加，尤其是那些独居或社会经济地位不利的人。重要的是，实际帮助者网络数量的减少，即相对较弱关系的减少，影响了两组人群的孤独体验。
