THE CONTENT OF THE GENERAL SOCIAL SURVEY DISCUSSION NETWORKS - AN EXPLORATION OF GENERAL SOCIAL SURVEY DISCUSSION NAME GENERATOR IN A CHINESE CONTEXT

This study focuses on the discussion network name generator used in th e 1985 General Social Survey (GSS). Based on the data from a Chinese s urvey, it explores the content of the discussion networks by examining the overlapping of names generated by the GSS discussion came generat or and the exchange name generators. It finds that the GSS discussion question has generated a range of social ties, which accounts for an i mportant part of a Chinese personal network. Specifically, the people with whom the Chinese respondents discussed important matters are also likely to spend leisure time with the respondents and to be the confi dants for personal matters. Some of them are expected to offer substan tial help or to possess important social resources; however, they are least involved in what are considered family affairs. (C) 1998 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.