The present invention comprises a novel method and apparatus for displaying and managing relationships between data elements of a database, including, without limitation, relationships between data elements representing or associated with members of a social network in a social network database. In one or more embodiments, attributes or values of data elements of a database are interpreted as unique locations in a multidimensional environment. Data elements are graphically displayed from the perspective of a point within the multidimensional environment. Attributes and relationships between data elements are displayed by visual characteristics of the displayed data elements (e.g. location, color, shape, animation) and by graphical elements connecting related displayed elements (e.g. similar colors, shapes, or connecting lines or areas).