Showing papers on "Social network published in 2000"

Fuzzy-Set Social Science

Abstract: In this innovative approach to the practice of social science, Charles Ragin explores the use of fuzzy sets to bridge the divide between quantitative and qualitative methods. Paradoxically, the fuzzy set is a powerful tool because it replaces an unwieldy, "fuzzy" instrument (the variable, which establishes only the positions of cases relative to each other) with a precise one (degree of membership in a well-defined set). Ragin argues that fuzzy sets allow a far richer dialogue between ideas and evidence in social research than previously possible. They let quantitative researchers abandon "homogenizing assumptions" about cases and causes, they extend diversity-oriented research strategies, and they provide a powerful connection between theory and data analysis. Most important, fuzzy sets can be carefully tailored to fit evolving theoretical concepts, sharpening quantitative tools with in-depth knowledge gained through qualitative, case-oriented inquiry. This book should revolutionize research methods not only in sociology, political science and anthropology but in any field of inquiry dealing with complex patterns of causation.

The small-world phenomenon: an algorithmic perspective

Abstract: Long a matter of folklore, the ``small-world phenomenon'''' --the principle that we are all linked by short chains of acquaintances --was inaugurated as an area of experimental study in the social sciences through the pioneering work of Stanley Milgram in the 1960''s. This work was among the first to make the phenomenon quantitative, allowing people to speak of the ``six degrees of separation'''' between any two people in the United States. Since then, a number of network models have been proposed as frameworks in which to study the problem analytically. One of the most refined of these models was formulated in recent work of Watts and Strogatz; their framework provided compelling evidence that the small-world phenomenon is pervasive in a range of networks arising in nature and technology, and a fundamental ingredient in the evolution of the World Wide Web. But existing models are insufficient to explain the striking algorithmic component of Milgram''s original findings: that individuals using local information are collectively very effective at actually constructing short paths between two points in a social network. Although recently proposed network models are rich in short paths, we prove that no decentralized algorithm, operating with local information only, can construct short paths in these networks with non-negligible probability. We then define an infinite family of network models that naturally generalizes the Watts-Strogatz model, and show that for one of these models, there is a decentralized algorithm capable of finding short paths with high probability. More generally, we provide a strong characterization of this family of network models, showing that there is in fact a unique model within the family for which decentralized algorithms are effective.

The Two Meanings of Social Capital1

Abstract: The popularity of the concept of social capital has been accompanied by increasing controversy about its actual meaning and effects. I consider here the alternative applications of the concept as an attribute of individuals vs. collectivities and discuss the extent to which causal propositions formulated at each level are logically sound. I present some empirical evidence illustrating the possibility that, despite the current popularity of the concept, much of its alleged benefits may be spurious after controlling for other factors. Implications of this analysis and results for theory and policy are discussed.

Materials for an exploratory theory of the network society

Abstract: This article aims at proposing some elements for a grounded theory of the network society. The network society is the social structure characteristic of the Information Age, as tentatively identified by empirical, cross-cultural investigation. It permeates most societies in the world, in various cultural and institutional manifestations, as the industrial society characterized the social structure of both capitalism and statism for most of the twentieth century. Social structures are organized around relationships of production/consumption, power, and experience, whose spatio-temporal configurations constitute cultures. They are enacted, reproduced, and ultimately transformed by social actors, rooted in the social structure, yet freely engaging in conflictive social practices, with unpredictable outcomes. A fundamental feature of social structure in the Information Age is its reliance on networks as the key feature of social morphology. While networks are old forms of social organization, they are now empowered by new information/communication technologies, so that they become able to cope at the same time with flexible decentralization, and with focused decision-making. The article examines the specific interaction between network morphology and relationships of production/consumption, power, experience, and culture, in the historical making of the emerging social structure at the turn of the Millennium.

Social capital versus social theory

Abstract: The idea of Social Capital is an attempt to incorporate social considerations into mainstream economic thinking Its proponents feel that social factors are properly quantifiable So, they use the complex algebra and statistics beloved of mainstream economic theory and measure 'units' of health care or education in the same way that they would machinery or transport Ben Fine's main argument in this book is that such concern cannot be judged in terms of mathematical methods and that to try to do so is overly simplistic Fine assesses the impact of Social Impact across the social sciences and shows how economic analysis is being subsumed into these areas and how thinking in sociology and politics impacts upon economics

Visualizing Social Networks.

Abstract: The use of visual images is common in many branches of science. And reviewers often suggest that such images are important for progress in the various fields (Koestler, 1964; Arnheim, 1970; Taylor, 1971; Tukey, 1972; Klovdahl, 1981; Tufte, 1983; Belien and Leenders). The historian Alfred Crosby (1997) has gone much further. He has proposed that visualization is one of only two factors that are responsible for the explosive development of all of modern science. The other is measurement.

Social Ties and Foreign Market Entry

Abstract: The social dynamics which precede international exchange are considered in light of data collected on 133 foreign market entries from a sample of highly-internationalized manufacturing firms. Consistent with research done in the social network field, the findings support the hypothesis that knowledge of foreign market opportunities is commonly acquired via existing inter-personal links rather than collected systematically via market research. This study thus contributes towards an understanding of those antecedent conditions that lead to the formation of export exchange relationships.

Family Matters: Gender, Networks, and Entrepreneurial Outcomes

Abstract: In this article, we explore severalfactors that may have an effect on business start-ups, focusing on possible gender differences. We conceptualize social capital as inhering in people's relations with others and examine the association between men's and women's social capital and their likelihood of starting a business. Two aspects of respondents' social capital are highlighted: the extent to which their business discussion networks are heterogeneous and the extent to which they contain a high proportion of kin. We show that a high proportion of kin and homogeneity in the network, rather than a high proportion offemales in the network or beingfemale, are critical disadvantages facing potential small business owners.

What is Social Capital? A Study of Interaction in a Rural Community

Abstract: What is social capital? In answering this question, the paper reports on new research which differentiates between social interaction processes and social capital as the product of those processes. Following a review of literature, structured as a social theory against which social capital might be understood, the paper then describes a study of a rural community, and reports on two analyses of data which contribute to answering the question, 'What is the nature of the interactive productivity between the local networks in a community?' The paper concludes that social capital, for which a new definition is forwarded, can only 'exist' if it is somehow able to be produced. This is the chief assumption of the paper. Social capital is defined as an accumulation of the knowledge and identity resources drawn on by communities-of-common-purpose. If social capital originates in micro interactions which are in turn embedded in a meso and macro social order, then these processes and connections should be observable. This paper makes an initial contribution to the establishment of such micro, mesa and macro links.

Offering a job: Meritocracy and social networks.

Abstract: This study focuses on the impact of sex, race, and social networks, to analyze the hiring process in a midsized high‐technology organization, using information on all 35,229 applicants in a 10‐year period (1985–94). For gender, the process is entirely meritocratic: age and education account for all sex differences. But even without taking into account the two meritocratic variables, there are small if no differences between men and women at all stages in the hiring process. For ethnic minorities, the process is partly meritocratic but partly reliant upon social networks. Once referral method is taken into account, all race effects disappear. In hiring, ethnic minorities are thus disadvantaged in the processes that take place before the organization is contacted. They lack access to or utilize less well the social networks that lead to high success in getting hired.

Learning About Information Technologies and Social Change: The Contribution of Social Informatics

Abstract: Social informatics is the body of research that examines the design, uses, and consequences of information and communication technologies in ways that take into account their interaction with institutional and cultural contexts. This article serves as a brief introduction to social informatics. Examples such as computer networks, scientific communication via electronic journals, and public access to the Internet are used to illustrate key ideas from social informatics research. Some of the key themes include the importance of social contexts and work processes, sociotechnical networks, public access to information, and social infrastructure for computing support. The article draws upon 25 years of systematic analytical and critical research about information technology and social change.

Trust and inter-organizational networking

Abstract: Inter-organizational and multi-functional networking are increasingly portrayed as new and potentially more effective forms of organization, especially where innovation is important. This is as true for academic work undertaken within universities as it is for business organizations; multi-disciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration being specified as highly desirable by the major research funding bodies. Integrating mechanisms are essential if such networks are to be effective in co-ordinating the work of a diverse range of partners. Importantly, they are required for the development of trust. Thus, the literature stresses that trust between the parties is central to the effective operation of such networks. This paper explores the evolution of trust within a particular inter-university, multi-disciplinary research team, and develops a model depicting the development and interrelation of different types of trust within this network. The difficulties this research network experienced in developing ...

Computer-Mediated Social Support, Older Adults, and Coping.

Abstract: One important new context of communication for older adults is computer-mediated communication (CMC). Although the Internet has become an important resource for information, little is known about the ways in which individuals use this technology for social support. Older adults (mean age = 62) using SeniorNet and other related websites completed an on-line questionnaire (N = 136) investigating social support in the computer-mediated environment. Satisfaction with Internet providers of social support was significantly higher for high Internet users than for low Internet users whereas low Internet users were more satisfied with their non-Internet support networks than high Internet users. Internet companionship network size was significantly larger than Internet social support network size. Greater involvement with the on-line community was predictive of lower perceived life stress. Social support and companionship satisfaction were not related to the types of coping strategies used; however, the results indicate that direct action was the most common coping strategy for the sample.

Downsizing in a Learning Organization: Are There Hidden Costs?

Abstract: Business practice has been at odds with organizational theory: whereas one managerial “fashion”—downsizing—involves divestiture of human assets, another—learning—advocates investment in human assets. We use a social network frame to consider the impact of downsizing on organizational learning and propose that the effects can be viewed as a nonlinear function of learning network size. From this perspective the potential damage to a firm's learning capacity is greater than head-count ratios imply.

Ties That Bind: A Social Network Approach to Understanding Student Integration and Persistence

Abstract: A Social Network Approach to Understanding Student Integration and Persistence Introduction Astin's (1993, P. 398) claim that peers are "the single most potent source of influence" in the lives of college students comes after decades of theoretical and empirical research examining the integrative nature of student experiences on the college campus. Review of the classic work of Newcomb (1943, 1962) and Newcomb and Wilson (1966), or the more contemporary observations of Horowitz (1987) or Moffatt (1989) demonstrates why student peer culture plays such a central contextual role in the understanding of a variety of college outcomes (e.g., Antrobus, Dobbelaer, & Salzinger, 1988; Chickering, 1974; Husband, 1976; Nora & Rendon, 1990; Stage, 1989; Terenzini & Pascarella, 1977). One outcome theorized to be dramatically affected by student peer culture is persistence. Much of the student persistence literature places great emphasis on student integration into campus subcultures (Spady, 1971; Tinto, 1993). Two major comprehensive conceptual models of student persistence have emerged from the various theoretical perspectives on this phenomenon, Bean's Student Attrition Model (1980, 1982, 1983, 1990) and Tinto's Student Integration Model (1975, 1987, 1993). Although Tinto's integration model places a greater emphasis on the role of within-institution peer culture than Bean's organizational model, which emphasizes the role that external forces play in the persistence process, considerable overlap exists between the two, especially in terms of the role of organizational factors and commitment to the institution (Cabrera, Casteneda, Nora, & Hengstler, 1992). In both models, student commitment to the institution is theorized to be affected by peers' attitudes and pressures. Bean theorizes that among other potential modifiers, the encouragement of close friends may enhance a sense of commitment to the institution (institutional fit and quality). Tinto postulates a similar relationship, namely that the higher the level of social integration the greater will be the commitment to the institution. As integration is the central feature of the Tinto model it has therefore been carefully elaborated both conceptually and empirically. This should not discount the theoretical role of social structure in Bean's model, for friendships, or social ties, are presumed to impact the extent of students' shared group values, support structure, and affinity for the institution in both models--simply in different ways. As many have pointed out, the operational measurement of the manifold dimensions of peer culture is often elusive. Adequate measurement of the effects of these important influences requires knowledge of students' individual group identifications as well as their desires for group affiliation, membership, and, ultimately, acceptance (Astin, 1993; Kuh, 1995; Newcomb, 1943, 1962; Newcomb & Wilson, 1966). The purpose of this study is to begin to explore such subcultural effects by assessing the role of student social structure in the persistence process. Specifically, I explore the effects of social integration from a social network perspective: a perspective that enables determination of subgroup membership and of the characteristics of relationships to and within those subgroups. My concern in this article is to take a first step toward a more appropriate empirical elaboration of the integration constructs central to these models. Accordingly, this study is exploratory in nature and is designed to examine the effects of structural integration on factors theorized to be central in the persistence process. Of the two major theories of student persistence, Tinto's Student Integration Model (1993) will be used as the framework for the development of a method that will enable the specification of a model incorporating a number of social network characteristics. Although similarities exist between Bean's and Tinto's theories, especially in terms of the posited relationships between integration and persistence, the Tinto model was chosen as a framework due to its particular theoretical underpinning and the large volume of work explicating is theory. …

Social support, social networks, social cohesion and health.

Abstract: (2000). Social Support, Social Networks, Social Cohesion and Health. Social Work in Health Care: Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 3-14.

Information behavior in dynamic group work contexts: interwoven situational awareness, dense social networks and contested collaboration in command and control

Abstract: In many dynamic work situations, no single individual can acquire the varied and often rapidly expanding information needed for success Individuals must work together to collect, analyze, synthesize and disseminate information throughout the work process Perhaps one of the most dynamic work contexts is command and control in the military at the battalion level which directs 300 to 1000 soldiers on the battlefield This paper reports on a study that explores human information behavior in command and control (C2) Data was gathered from simulated battle exercises, interviews with experienced C2 personnel and documentation on C2 During data analysis, three important themes that highlight the why, what, how and consequences of information behavior in C2 emerged The first is the concept of interwoven situational awareness consisting of individual, intragroup and intergroup shared understanding of the situation Interwoven situational awareness appears to facilitate response to dynamic, constraint-bound situations The second theme describes the need for dense social networks or frequent communication between participants about the work context and situation, the work process and domain-specific information The third theme is called ‘contested collaboration’, a phenomenon where team members maintain an outward stance of cooperation but work to further their own interests, at times sabotaging the collaborative effort These results provide insights to the complex nature of human information behavior in dynamic and complex work contexts and lead to recommendations for training and further research

A longitudinal model of social contact, social support, depression, and alcohol use.

Abstract: The longitudinal relations among contact with one's social network (social contact), perceived social support, depression, and alcohol use were examined. An integrative model was developed from affect regulation theory and theories of social support and dysfunctional drinking. Data were obtained from a random sample of 1,192 adults. The 3-wave panel model was tested using structural equation modeling analysis. Results revealed that (a) social contact was positively related to perceived social support; (b) perceived social support was, in turn, negatively related to depression; and (c) depression was, in turn, positively related to alcohol use for 1 of 2 longitudinal lags. There was partial support for the feedback hypothesis that increased alcohol use leads to decreased contact with family and friends. Although the results generally supported the authors' hypotheses, the significant coefficients in the model were generally small in size.

Entrepreneurial Opportunity Recognition Through Social Networks

Abstract: Chapter 1. Introduction Entrepreneurial Opportunities: A Definitional Discussion Chapter 2 Introduction Prior Conceptions and Definitions of Opportunity Ideas, Desirability, and Feasibility Environmental Sources of Opportunity Creation A Conceptual Definition of Opportunity Chapter 3: Opportunity Recognition Literature Review Introduction Opportunity Recognition: Process or Enlightenment? Prior Experience and the "Corridor Principle" Cognitive Factors for Opportunity Recognition Social Networks and Opportunity Recognition Concept of the Opportunity Recognition Process in this Study Discussion and Concluding Remarks Chapter 4. Opportunity Recognition and Social Networks Introduction Direct Relevant Related Literature Weak Ties Strong and Weak Ties Combined Structural Holes Network Diversity Opportunity Recognition: Before or After the Intention to Found a Firm? Network Opportunity Recognition and Firm Performance Chapter 5. Research Methods Survey Questionnaire The Chose Survey Sample Survey Procedure Variables Used in the Statistical Analyses Statistical Methods Used to Test Hypotheses Chapter 6. Summary of Respondents and Study Sample Chapter 7. Ideas VS. Opportunities: Empirical Data Results Numbers of Ideas Identified and Opportunities Recognized Sources of Ideas Turning Ideas into Opportunities Timespan Between Initial Idea and Opportunity Recognition Timespan Between Opportunity Recognition and Firm Founding Modification of Initial Venture Idea Before Opportunity Recognition Modification of Initial Venture Idea Before Firm Founding Role of Social Contacts in the Opportunity Recognition Process Concluding Remarks about Chapter 7 Chapter 8: Empirical Results: Tests of Hypotheses Examining the Numbers of New Venture Ideas Identified Examining the Numbers of New Venture Opportunities Recognized Effects of Network Size on Numbers of Opportunities Pursued Effects of Network Size and Characteristics on Range of Opportunities Recognized Alertness and Prior Experience Levels of network Entrepreneurs Intention to Found a Firm and then Recognizing the Opportunity vs. Recognizing the Opportunity and then Founding a Firm Utilizing Strong and Weak Ties to Recognize Opportunities Effect of Opportunity Recognition Through Social Networks on Firm Size and Performance Summary of Results for Tests of Hypotheses Chapter 9: Discussion of Empirical Results and Research Model Size of an Entrepreneur's Social Network Effect of Weak Ties Benefit of Having a Mix of Strong and Weak Ties Social Networks, Opportunity Recognition and Performance Structural Holes and Alter Heterogeneity Discussion of Other Results The Effect of Cofounders Discussion of the Models Developed in this Study Limitations Conclusion Chapter 10. Supplementary Analyses of Data Differences Between Study Sample and Respondents who did not Agree with (or Understand) the Overarching Research Model

Some thoughts on the relationship between theory and practice in and for social work

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of the discipline of social work and to argue that perhaps its central and unique characteristic is the way theory and practice are closely interrelated. In doing so it suggests it is important to locate social work in its particular social, political and historical contexts and to identify some of the key factors which have influenced not only its development but its forms. Social work is identified as being essentially ambiguous, complex and uncertain such that its major strengths are in terms of its ability to improve dialogue, understanding and interpretation, rather than simply be concerned with legislating and acting with authority. In this sense it has the potential to make a significant contribution to the contemporary social sciences more generally.

Mesolevel Networks and the Diffusion of Social Movements: The Case of the Swedish Social Democratic Party1

Abstract: In analyzing the spatial diffusion of the Swedish Social Democratic Party, this article introduces the notion of a mesolevel network. A mesolevel network is a social network that differs in three important respects from interpersonal microlevel networks directly linking prior and potential adopters of a practice to one another: (1) it is generated by a different causal process than the microlevel network; (2) it tends to be much sparser than the microlevel network; and (3) the typical edge of a mesolevel network bridges much longer sociometric and geographic distances than the typical edge of a microlevel network. These types of mesolevel networks are important because they can dramatically influence the speed at which a contagious practice will diffuse. The mesolevel network focused upon in this article is the network that emerged out of the travel routes of political agitators affiliated with the Social Democratic Party. Computational modeling shows that the diffusion of the Social Democratic Party is l...

Psychological Aspects of Corporate Identity, Image and Reputation

Abstract: Language creates problems for the study of corporate identity, image and reputation. The concept of corporate personality is based on an implicit analogy that has both advantages and disadvantages. Results from qualitative research studies illustrate the relationship between individual and collective representations. Persons and organizations are known and described in terms of the attributes that people assign to them. Organizations and persons have multiple identities, images and reputations that change over time. A reputation typically consists of a skewed distribution of beliefs with a greater or lesser degree of conformity among members of an interest group. This is the result of the spread of information and influence in a social network. Methods for studying reputation are briefly mentioned.

From I to we: Social identity and the collective self.

Abstract: Social identity theory is a nonreductionist account of the relationship between collective self and social group. Cognitive-motivational processes affect, and are affected by, group, intergroup, and societal processes, to make people behave and think about themselves and others in ways that are generally characteristics of groups and specifically shaped by the social context. The development and current status of social identity theory is described historically, as part of the debate between collectivistic and individualistic perspectives on social psychology, the social group, and the self-concept. The authors trace the debate from Wundt through Durkheim, LeBon, McDougall, Mead, and the 'crisis in social psychology' and show how the development of European social psychology framed the development of social identity theory. The article concludes with a critical discussion of the collectivistic credentials of social identity theory.

Social Capital and Urban Governance: Adding a More Contextualized ‘Top-down’ Perspective:

Abstract: There is growing interest in the social sciences in the concept of social capital and the role it plays in facilitating collaborative and collective actions. Within political science, it is the work of Robert Putnam which has dominated social capital research. This paper argues that the ‘Putnam-school’ approach is lacking in two main respects. First, the role played by public authorities in the creation of social capital is neglected. Second, the implications for governance cannot simply be read off from associational activity and ‘stocks’ of social capital. The concept of the political opportunity structure is offered and adapted to develop a framework for social capital analysis. Original empirical material from Birmingham is drawn upon and compared to earlier studies of the city in order to support and illustrate the arguments of the paper.

Virtual community care? social policy and the emergence of computer mediated social support

Abstract: This article argues that the emergence and growth of internet use in Britain has important implications for the analysis of social policy. It attempts to outline a research agenda for social policy in relation to one particular aspect of internet use, that of on-line self-help and social support – what we term here virtual-community care . The article presents data on patterns of home based internet use in Britain and outlines some contemporary debates in social policy about the importance of self-help and social support. It also considers how the internet is being used for self-help and social support with a particular emphasis on the emerging situation in Britain. Three illustrations of on-line self-help and social support are presented: two from newsgroups, which are part of the ‘uk.people.* hierarchy’: one concerned with disability and one with parenting issues; and one web based forum concerned with issues surrounding mortgage repossession. Drawing upon this illustrative material the article discusse...