The contextual name generator

Researchers must therefore ask themselves what constitutes the connection between, on the one hand, the biographical path and the development of relationships, and, on the other hand, the development of the network as a whole. [...] Indeed the relational network constitutes an “intermediate level" (Degenne et Forsé, 1994)) between the individual and society; the creation and development of the network provides us with vast information on patterns of circulation and the way the individual is rooted in society. [...] We adapted it, in part, because of the more specific objectives of the three Quebec surveys: Two focussed on a transition period in early adulthood and allowed for a meeting with the participants on two or three occasions: the first one aimed to study the influence of the family and the social network on the educational path taken in the first two years following entry into post-secondary educatio [...] The French first question is: "Who are the persons currently important to you, who matter to you?" The Québec question is a mixture of questions proposed by Wellman (1997) and by McCallister and Fischer: “Who are the people you currently feel closest to or with whom you discuss important matters?” In the French survey, the first question constitutes a lead-in and facilitates the chronicling of the [...] Over the course of events that arise in the life of individuals, we get a closer view of the individuals on whom people can rely and of the differences as time goes by.