Social Network & Generation: Analysis of Younger adult and Older Adult’s Social Discussion Network in Shiraz City

Core discussion network (CDN) is one of the most important elements of any society which has experienced important developments and changes. This study aimed to describe and analysis younger adult and older adult’s CDN, and investigating changes in their CDN. This study was conducted by survey method and the study sample was 600 young people aged 15-29 and adults aged 40-65 in Shiraz who were selected using multi-stage random sampling method. Core discussion network was completed using a social network assessment questionnaire between two generations, younger adults and older adults. The important descriptive results of this study show that the size of CDN, network density, frequency of interactions and closeness of the older adult’s network are greater than younger adults. In contrast, ethnic heterogeneity and social support received from network are also greater for young people. The inferential results show that although the test of the difference between structural, interactive and functional dimensions of the younger adults and older adult’s CDN is not significant, but the differences of some of the indexes of each of them are significant. In general, it seems that the CDN of people in Shiraz is changing towards network individualism.