Title: Social networks: dialogic artefacts

Authors: Javier Callejo; Jesús Gutiérrez

Addresses: Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Facultad de CC. Políticas y Sociología, Departamento de Sociología (I), c/ Obispo Trejo s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain ' Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Facultad de CC. Políticas y Sociología, Departamento de Sociología (I), c/ Obispo Trejo s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain

Abstract: This article presents the findings of an empirical study on the use of social networks among Spanish adolescents. We develop and support the central theoretical thesis of this study. Questioning the discursive character of social networks and their communicational function, we analyse the network as an artefact whose ultimate objective is to generate dialogue. This approach shifts the sociological interest from understanding what adolescents do in this space and its consequences to the problem of what this artefact formally imposes on communication and on their relationship interests.

Keywords: quantitative research; qualitative research; communication; social networks; discourse; dialogue; internet; dialogic artefacts; adolescents; young people; Spain; social networking.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSS.2016.077003

International Journal of Society Systems Science, 2016 Vol.8 No.2, pp.99 - 113

Received: 05 Mar 2014
Accepted: 07 Apr 2015

Published online: 17 Jun 2016 *

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