Vb AS A Social Network: Exploring Underlying Difference BETWEEN Vb AND Western Social Networking

Abstract

This paper is an effort to establish Vartan Bhanji (VB) as a social network and distinguishes it from the Western notion of social networking. In order to attain the goal of this paper, an in-depth analysis of literature has been conducted and a model devised by Michailova and Worm (2003) (and verified by Butler and Purchase (2004)) is used to evaluate VB as a social network. In addition to this, a novel intellectual framework containing fifteen (15) categories is developed and applied to compare VB with Western social networks. It has been found that VB, being a unique cultural feature of Pakistani society, fulfills the requirement to be declared a social network, though it is not similar to Western social networks. This paper offers a rare in-depth insight into the issue at hand and extends directions for future research.