Reconnecting Here and There: The Reactivation of Dormant Ties in the United States and Japan. (July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Boase, Jeffrey; Kobayashi, Tetsuro; Schrock, Andrew; Suzuki, Tsutomu; Suzuki, Takahisa
• Other Names: Chua Vincent guest-editor.; Wellman Barry guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: American behavioral scientist. Volume 59:Number 8(2015:Aug.)
• Page Start: 931
• Page End: 945
• Publication Date: 2015-07
• Subjects: collectivism -- personal networks -- weak ties -- reconnection -- dormant ties; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Political science -- Periodicals; United States -- Social conditions -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; 300
• DOI: 10.1177/0002764215580588
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0002-7642

Abstract

This article examines the reactivation of dormant ties in Japan and the United States. Using the institutional approach to culture developed by Yamagishi et al., it is hypothesized that respondents living in Japan will be less likely to reconnect with dormant ties when prompted than respondents living in the United States. It is further hypothesized that interaction with kin and work ties will help to explain lower levels of reconnection in Japan than in the United States. To examine these hypotheses, we developed a field experiment in which 95 adults living in Japan and 68 adults living in the United States were prompted by a smartphone application to reconnect with dormant ties. The results of this study show strong support for the hypothesis that respondents living in Japan are less likely to reconnect with dormant ties than respondents living in the United States when prompted. There is also mixed support for the hypothesis that interaction with kin and work ties helps to explain lower levels of reconnection in Japan than in the United States.