This document discusses literacy practices of Dutch-Moroccan youth through analysis of their social networks. It identifies four main network types: 1) dense networks of similar others where literacy supports cultural identity, 2) family-centered networks using literacy for familial ties, 3) offline networks with little online literacy, and 4) fragmented bridging networks where literacy extends limited social resources. Network expansion through online literacy depends on available discourses and their meaning to individuals as they interpret and shape their social networks.

1. ‘Reading’ their network &
‘Writing’ one into being:
Multidiscursive identity practices
of Dutch-Moroccan youth
in hybrid social networks
Fleur Prinsen & Kevin Leander

2. Literacy concept
Literacy approached as a tool for:
1) Network interpretation;
Interpretation of text/discourses present within a
(sub)network, that is of importance for one’s
identity.
2) Network (re)production;
(Re)Production of a (sub)network, that is important
for one’s identity, through text/discourse.
Making connections to meaningful discourses through
communicative connectivity

3. Research question
What social network does what kind of literacy
support and make possible?
Type 2: Type 1:

4. Theoretical framework
• Social Network Analytic perspective
(e.g. Scott, 2000; Wasserman & Faust, 1994)
• Extension of ‘Identity as Position’ metaphor
(Moje et al., 2009) towards ‘Networked Identity’
• Literacy as communicative connectivity
(see also Hepp et al., 2011), reproducing and
extending identity, in a networked perspective.

5. Methods
Social Network Interviews (n=30) to…
• Generate network of important people (Using VennMaker and
NodeXl software).
• Capture discourse about communicative connectivity practices.
Social Network Analysis to…
• Calculate structural and compositional measures.
Iterative Reading and Content Coding
of Social Network Interview transcripts to…
• Organize and describe every day patterns of their communicative
connectivity practices (118 codes, using Nvivo software).

6. Results
Network types based on ...
• Differences in structure and composition
&
• Associated tendencies towards
(type-) specificity of communicative connectivity

7. Maintaining and extending connections
Type 2: The Etnically Homogeneous Network
100% ‘same-ethnicity’ alters (mean = 83%), consisting of 2 fairly dense clusters

8. Maintaining and extending connections:
‘Reading’ one’s network
Maintaining ethnically specific connections:
• Connecting to discourses within Dutch-Moroccan
culture and peer group.
• Shared experiences and more immediate
understanding without language or cultural barriers,
e.g. speaking Moroccan amongst each other.
• Consumption of ethnically specific social media
options, e.g. to read stories written by Dutch-
Moroccan youth online and connect through shared
social networking practices.

9. Interviewer: “And with whom do you feel you belong? With what kind of persons
do you feel at home?”
Student: “Just normal people. I do not like it when people feel they are higher
than you or anything. Normal people, that behave normally and that do not feel
higher than others or stronger or better”.
Interviewer: ”And you and your friends all have the same cultural background?”
Student: ”Yes.”
Interviewer: “And why is that important to you?”
Student: ”I feel most comfortable there, with people that are of the same descent
as me, because we understand each other more because of that.” “For instance,
most of the time with my Moroccan friends I can just speak Moroccan, not with
other people.”
Interviewer: “And that is important for you that you can speak Moroccan?”
Student: “Yes, most of the time, yes.”.
Interviewer: “Can you express different things in Moroccan than with the Dutch
language?”
Student: “Sometimes, for instance (???) how kids laugh, to be angry for different
reasons.”

10. ‘Writing’ an extended network
into being
Extending ethnically specific connections:
• Use of ethnically specific online networking
sites for extended communicative connectivity
with ethnically similar others, using cultural
identification symbols like Moroccan
nicknames and pictures.

11. Interviewer: “And how did you meet them?”
Student: “On that one site, that I just mentioned, that Moroccan site. There you can
react to topics and such.” “That one for young ones, Chaima.nl, and that other one is
just Marokko.nl.”
Interviewer: “So you have a little group there with whom you talk a lot?”
Student: “ (.)I talk mostly just to such a (..) gir.. (???) that girl and another one like
that, who I got to know and lives in Rotterdam South. And with that girl… where there
are only girls, there were a couple of boys that came and were acting funny and such…
so that.”
Interviewer: “Okay, and can you, that which you learn online… so for instance what
you learn on Marokko.nl… maybe you learn something from the stories you say you
read there… can you use that in school?“
Student: “No, but I can use it, like, how I should do it later on, let’s say. Those girls
have experienced certain things and they are now I don’t know how old… they tell their
life when they were 15 or 16 years old. […] just problems at school, she was bullied
and such…
Interviewer: ”Yes, in what way can you learn from that? “
Student: “I like it when they at a later time, then they have, how will I say it, then
everything turned out for the best.
Interviewer: “Yes, and do you do something with that information?”
Student: “then if I had a problem like that, than I would do it the way they did it.”

12. Maintaining and extending connections:
Type 3: The family centered network
Over-representation of family (above 68%, mean=58%), 2 fairly dense clusters

13. Maintaining and extending connections:
Type 3: The family centered network

14. ‘Reading’ one’s network
Maintaining familial connections:
• Oriented towards familial (origin) culture,
many family members in peer group,
integrating some other peers without leaving
too large a structural hole.
• Extended familial roles.

15. ‘Writing’ anextendednetworkintobeing
• European or global (family-oriented) belonging
through transnational communicative
connectivity.
• No online exploration for extended
communicative connectivity – Internet not
used to make new friends.

16. Interviewer: “Okay and with whom do you feel you belong, with what kind of people do
you feel at home?”
Student: “Uhm, with my friends and a couple of my cousins.”
Interviewer: “And how would you describe your friends?”
Student: “The same as me. … I like quiet girlfriends.”
Interviewer: “and are there people in this picture that have the same life experiences as
you?”
Student: “Uhm, yes, my two cousins [one of them lives in Germany].”
Interviewer: “When you come online, are there people that immediately click on you to
talk?”
Student: “Yes, these and these [points out some people in the network].”
Interviewer: “And those cousins of yours, where do they live?”
Student: Uhm, this one lives abroad, in Germany, and this one lives here in Den Bosch.
Interviewer: “and what language do you speak to each other?”
Student: “On MSN? Well, I speak a bit of German, we mixed a bit, a bit of Moroccan, a
bit of English a bit of German and Dutch.”
Interviewer: “Alright, but you do always understand each other?”
Student: “Yes, they also are quite good at speaking Dutch, and yes, I get taught German
here in school and then it goes.”

17. Maintaining and extending connections:
Type 1: The fragmented, briding network
Includes ‘isolates’, more than 3 clusters (average = 2) , less dense (below.6)

18. ‘Reading’ one’s network
• Recognition of limited discourses & Unfulfilled
identity needs
Interviewer: “And your mom is not on Hyves [Dutch Social Networking site], is she?”
Student: “Yes, she knows I have Hyves and MSN and such but … my dad also knows,
but not really with uhm… with whom I talk or anything. That, uhm… they would not
agree with that (laughs). Yes, they .. they have, we are in our religion not really
uhm… are very modest with uhm…, they’d rather not I uhm, I am allowed to talk to
guys, but not a lot. Or hang out with them, outside or, especially those he does not
know himself.
Interviewer: “Yes, so do you find it bothersome that you cannot show certain things
to your mom and dad? Of yourself?”
Student: “Uhm, no, not really, because I already know how they will react, so I’d
rather keep it to myself.”
• Literacy used for active extension

19. ‘Writing’ and extended network
into being
Student: “Yes, that exists like that, yes it is actually standard with every uhm
Moroccan girl really. So yes, if you ask something like that she will tell you the
same. […] But I think that if that opportunity [to meet boys online] wasn’t there,
there would be another way, I think. Uhm, yes, outside or so. But it’s never as easy
as Hyves. Hyves has been, I think, quite a change for most people. Uhm, I think that
you get to know people like that really, that in real life you would not have
approached. I don’t know how that sounds… Yeah really just because we… yeah…
really do not normally do such things. It has become standard … if that weren’t
there any longer it would … people would really have life changes. Internet plays a
big role in our lives.”

20. Writing and extended network
into being (Student II)
Interviewer: “And do you know what you want to become?”
Student: “I want to go into politics.” “I do think that ambition is a bit different
from others, because they still think about playing and such.” “I do not learn
much from other people about politics. I am interested in it myself and I look
up things that I want to know myself.” “But sometimes you see people that are
on the political fora a lot and that say things that interest you, that you agree
with, I then mainly pay attention to those people.”
Interviewer: “And was there someone in this picture that belonged to those
people?
Student: “Yes, Dionne.”
Interviewer: “Do other people in your network know that you are
participating on fora?”
Student: “Berrol (best friend), only Berrol knows. I do not really talk about it
when I get to school every day, because no one else is on it in my class, so then
I find it useless to talk about it.”

21. Writing and extended network
into being (II)
Interviewer: "Are there people in your online network with whom you undertake
activities in which you like to improve?"
Student: " Debating, for instance" ... " Some people are very good at, for example,
starting a discussion and they provoke very well. Some people know to give their
opinion. It's not like I learn from them directly, that they know like you do it this or
that way, but I watch them and see how they do it.“ […] [For instance] “You have to
adjust to your environment. Yes, also, for example, if you … on a forum like
Marokko.nl… being a Muslim you cannot go and call out that homosexuality, that
that is also allowed and such things” “Also, again, because they would not
understand”. “Because I knew there are not many Muslims on this [other] forum… I
will adjust… so I’ll do it from the perspective of a Christian.” “At kijkditnou.nl I’m a
little more held back, because I know some of those things people just don’t
understand. So then, I don’t say everything. But that is only in the area of Religion,
when it is about politics I let it all out.”

22. Conclusions
What social network does what kind of literacy
support and make possible?
General Network Characteristics: Fairly dense, Of reasonable size, Including a
family and a school cluster (overlapping with neighborhood contacts)
Types of networks [structurally and compositionally different]:
1) Sizeable, dense network of Similar Others Only:
• Use literacies to consolidate their cultural identity (to be able to “be
themselves” in their most important circles).
• Use literacies to engage multiple resources for developing themselves.
• Extensive use of ethnic-specific online social networking sites, seeking contact
with more similar others.
2) Family centered network:
• Use literacies to build and strengthen their familial cultural identities and
develop extended familial roles.
• Use literacies to maintain transnational ties with family abroad.
• Either no need for alternate contacts or barriers (e.g. trust).

23. Conclusions (II)
What social networks does what kind of literacy
support and make possible?
3) Mainly offline network:
• Some focus on offline activities (e.g. sports) and do not feel need to
develop online literacies.
• Some have a small circle to begin with and do not extend online.
• Online literacies are employed for individual informational use.
• Encounter social barriers to develop online (social) literate activity.
4) Fragmented, bridging network:
• Use literacies to take advantage of online social networking
opportunities, compensating for lacking social resources.
• Extend contacts with meaningful others, not necessarily of same
background.
• Report more use of ethnic a-specific media for communicative
connectivity.
• Develop a familiarity with various (cultural) genres.

24. General conclusion
Network expansion through literate activities
in online social media,
depends on the kind of discourses available
within one’s network(ed) publics,
and their meaning in a person’s social life.
Literacies are used and developed
in the interpretation and (re)production
of one’s networks