chapterFive ( Using Code: The Social Diffusion of Programming Tasks ) {

2019 ◽  
pp. 259-350
Author(s):  
Edison Bicudo
Keyword(s):  
The Social ◽  
Social Diffusion

Diffusion

2020 ◽  
pp. 178-199
Author(s):  
Hans-Jörg Schmid
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Model ◽  
Diffusion Of Innovations ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Cascade Model ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Linguistic Variation ◽  
Spatial Diffusion ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Diffusion ◽  
S Curve

The chapter discusses the nature of the process of diffusion as a feedback-loop process and explains its contribution to the conventionalization of innovations, to linguistic variation, change, and persistence. The chapter is divided into sections portraying spatial diffusion, social diffusion, and stylistic diffusion as highly dynamic, potentially reversible, and therefore largely unpredictable. Aspects discussed include various models of spatial diffusion (e.g. the gravity model and the cascade model), the S-curve model of the social diffusion of innovations, as well as processes such as standardization, colloquialization, and vernacularization. It is highlighted that all three dimensions of diffusion must always be kept in sight. This is illustrated by discussing the variable -ing vs -in as a standard example of what Labov (2001) calls a ‘stable sociolinguistic variable’.

scholarly journals Kingston Adopts the Telephone

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M. Pike
Keyword(s):  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Organizational Characteristics ◽  
Institutional Work ◽  
Telephone Company ◽  
Physical Location ◽  
Work Related ◽  
The Social ◽  
Central Canada ◽  
Social Diffusion

The adoption and use of the telephone in urban central Canada between 1876 and 1914 are explored within the context of the wider communications environment and the marketing strategies of the Bell Telephone Company. This context becomes the framework for a case study of the social diffusion of the telephone in Kingston, Ont, between 1883 and 1911. Utilizing telephone directories and early city directories, the case study concentrates on the socioeconomic and organizational characteristics of early phone subscribers and the physical location of their phones. Both business and residential subscribers are shown throughout the period to have been drawn mainly from the commercial and prof essional classes in Kingston and to have used the phone mainly for institutional, work-related purposes.

scholarly journals Sociology of religion and the occult revival

1975 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 202-214
Author(s):  
Lennart Ejerfeldt
Keyword(s):  
Social Structure ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Sociology Of Religion ◽  
Western World ◽  
Social Significance ◽  
New Religions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Counter Culture ◽  
The Sixties ◽  
Social Diffusion

The "new" that makes the cults of the occult revival to "new religions" of the Western world, is their recently increased social significance. Historically most of modern occultism is anything but new. From the research and theorizing about the occult revival we have picked up some main themes. The first is the social diffusion of the new occultism. In this field, we find some studies of superstition, especially astrology. These illuminate the differences in social connotation between the consumers of superstition and the followers of institutional religion. Secondly the study of the occult revival has made valuable contributions to the conceptualizing of "cult" and the cultic phenomenon. Thirdly, we will look upon the connection between the occult revival and the counter-culture. The problem of the rise of cults as a symptom of socio-cultural change will be briefly discussed with reference to Bell's thesis of "the disjuntion of culture and social structure". Lastly, we proffer some reflections on the occult revival and the new spiritual trends in the churches, which so sharply contrast with the theology and churchmanship of the sixties.

scholarly journals Social Networks of Lexical Innovation. Investigating the Social Dynamics of Diffusion of Neologisms on Twitter

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quirin Würschinger
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
New Words ◽  
Network Analyses ◽  
The Social ◽  
Lexical Innovation ◽  
Social Diffusion

Societies continually evolve and speakers use new words to talk about innovative products and practices. While most lexical innovations soon fall into disuse, others spread successfully and become part of the lexicon. In this paper, I conduct a longitudinal study of the spread of 99 English neologisms on Twitter to study their degrees and pathways of diffusion. Previous work on lexical innovation has almost exclusively relied on usage frequency for investigating the spread of new words. To get a more differentiated picture of diffusion, I use frequency-based measures to study temporal aspects of diffusion and I use network analyses for a more detailed and accurate investigation of the sociolinguistic dynamics of diffusion. The results show that frequency measures manage to capture diffusion with varying success. Frequency counts can serve as an approximate indicator for overall degrees of diffusion, yet they miss important information about the temporal usage profiles of lexical innovations. The results indicate that neologisms with similar total frequency can exhibit significantly different degrees of diffusion. Analysing differences in their temporal dynamics of use with regard to their age, trends in usage intensity, and volatility contributes to a more accurate account of their diffusion. The results obtained from the social network analysis reveal substantial differences in the social pathways of diffusion. Social diffusion significantly correlates with the frequency and temporal usage profiles of neologisms. However, the network visualisations and metrics identify neologisms whose degrees of social diffusion are more limited than suggested by their overall frequency of use. These include, among others, highly volatile neologisms (e.g., poppygate) and political terms (e.g., alt-left), whose use almost exclusively goes back to single communities of closely-connected, like-minded individuals. I argue that the inclusion of temporal and social information is of particular importance for the study of lexical innovation since neologisms exhibit high degrees of temporal volatility and social indexicality. More generally, the present approach demonstrates the potential of social network analysis for sociolinguistic research on linguistic innovation, variation, and change.

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