Analyzing networks in communication: a mixed methods study of a political debate

Abstract

How can we detect and analyze network ties in non-reactive communication data? Previous network research mostly relies on the mere occurrence of events between actors (e.g., e-mails, citations). The paper proposes combining qualitative interpretation of communication and formal quantitative analysis. Conversation analysis and interactional sociolinguistics give us methods to qualitatively discern how actors are related in communication (relational meaning). This can be typified into kinds of relational events like “attack” or “support”. Types of social relationships (“alliance” or “conflict”) are characterized by specific combinations of relational events. These methods are used exemplarily to analyze a televised political debate between six party representatives in Germany. Three prominent types of relational events are identified qualitatively: interruptions that are supportive or adversarial, and accounts of action. Hierarchical cluster analysis shows these relational events to fall into four types of relations (alliance, all-out attack, moderate attack, ignore).