TY - JOUR
T1 - The Power of Brokerage
T2 - Case Study of Normative Behavior, Latinas and Cervical Cancer
AU - Walter, Nathan
AU - Murphy, Sheila T.
AU - Frank, Lauren B.
AU - Ball-Rokeach, Sandra J.
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank Peter Monge, Joshua Clark, and Thomas Valente for their thoughtful comments on a previous version of this article. The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the National Cancer Institute through Barriers to Cervical Cancer Prevention in Hispanic Women: A Multilevel Approach, an award to the University of Southern California (R01CA155326—Murphy/Ball-Rokeach).
Funding Information:
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the National Cancer Institute through Barriers to Cervical Cancer Prevention in Hispanic Women: A Multilevel Approach, an award to the University of Southern California (R01CA155326—Murphy/Ball-Rokeach).
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2017.
PY - 2019/7/1
Y1 - 2019/7/1
N2 - Informed by the theory of normative social behavior (TNSB) and ego-network analysis, the present study outlines the mechanisms that contribute to the creation and maintenance of social norms and their subsequent behavioral outcomes. By analyzing different patterns of normative influence associated with cervical cancer detection among Latinas (N = 982), the study concludes that network brokerage provides individuals with nonredundant information, helps resist normative pressure, and contributes to efficacy beliefs, promoting more informed decision making. Conversely, network closure perpetuates conformity, increases the influence of social norms, and induces less confidence in individual’s ability to comply with cervical cancer screening, subjecting Latinas to unnecessary health risks. Overall, the results suggest that the study of normative influence should be combined with social network analysis, trying to shed a light on the distinct social structures and communication practices that can either reinforce or challenge norms. These findings extend the discussion of social norms in health-related decision making to a more nuanced approach that recognizes the antecedents and outcomes of normative influence.
AB - Informed by the theory of normative social behavior (TNSB) and ego-network analysis, the present study outlines the mechanisms that contribute to the creation and maintenance of social norms and their subsequent behavioral outcomes. By analyzing different patterns of normative influence associated with cervical cancer detection among Latinas (N = 982), the study concludes that network brokerage provides individuals with nonredundant information, helps resist normative pressure, and contributes to efficacy beliefs, promoting more informed decision making. Conversely, network closure perpetuates conformity, increases the influence of social norms, and induces less confidence in individual’s ability to comply with cervical cancer screening, subjecting Latinas to unnecessary health risks. Overall, the results suggest that the study of normative influence should be combined with social network analysis, trying to shed a light on the distinct social structures and communication practices that can either reinforce or challenge norms. These findings extend the discussion of social norms in health-related decision making to a more nuanced approach that recognizes the antecedents and outcomes of normative influence.
KW - brokerage and closure
KW - cervical cancer
KW - efficacy beliefs
KW - social capital
KW - social norms
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U2 - 10.1177/0093650217718655
DO - 10.1177/0093650217718655
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85067192021
SN - 0093-6502
VL - 46
SP - 639
EP - 662
JO - Communication Research
JF - Communication Research
IS - 5
ER -
