ABSTRACT
How do people form personal ties? A consensus holds in sociological and social network scholarship that in-person networks are dominated by status homophily and that guanxi networks rely extensively on balance. This chapter argues that SNSs reconceptualize the character of homophily and tie-formation altogether in guanxi networks. This chapter examines how the technical capabilities of SNSs and principles of guanxi culture come together to erode status boundaries, create access to larger networks, and cause spillovers of information and tie-strength. As a result, the basis of tie-formation in guanxi networks on SNSs shifts from balance to assortation and status homophily to value homophily. In this transformed calculus of tie-formation, two typologies of values rise to the fore: substantive values that reflect opinions and interests, as well as structural values that reflect networkability. Statistical analyses of the Chinese General Social Survey further reveal that personal SNS use is negatively associated with the odds of thinking about roles and statuses when building friendship ties, suggesting that individuals are becoming less instrumental in their networking.
