Online Footprints of Family Change: a Study Based on Twitter  Seminar

Authors: Nicolò Cavalli, Francesco C. Billari, Eric Qian, Ingmar Weber
Abstract:In this study, we build a large dataset ( > 5M observations) using a popular micro blogging platform, Twitter. By analysing self-reported biographical information of Twitter users located in the United States, we construct simple State-level indicators for the prevalence of “traditional" versus “modern" family roles. We show that our measures correlate spatially to real-world behavioural indices linked to the ideas of Second Demographic Transition and Gender Revolution. We also analyse specific cultural correlates to self-reported identities, aiming at capturing the heterogeneity of ideas about family that contributes to shaping socio-demographic change. Our approach provides an innovative way to map the cultural footprints that underlie family change, updating to the "Internet era" the Goffmanian research project concerned with the presentation of self in everyday life.