Since my last post, I paused a little bit on the visualization of the networks on Meetup.com. Instead, I worked more on reading the literature on group dynamics, social networks, and organizational ecology and finalizing my research questions for my dissertation which this project is part of. The finalized core research question is: what makesContinue reading “Qianyi’s Fellowship Update and Reflection”

Project background: Participation in voluntary associations is vital for a healthy democracy. With most research focusing on the conventional associations, e.g. labor unions or sports groups, the recent popularization of online social groups, e.g. Facebook and Meetup groups, calls for more investigation of the newer forms of associations. Online social groups ease and transform meansContinue reading “The Networks of Online Groups”