Teaching social network theory concepts to undergraduates

THEORIES OF NETWORKS

LIST On the left: 10 people you talked to last. In a column to the right:

For each, what’s your relationship with them: How do you know them?

Friend, family, acquaintance, someone you work with. In a 3rd column:

Who introduced you to that person? Who introduced you to the person that introduced you to that

person?

Draw each person’s name on a piece of paper. Spread them out. Draw a line FROM 1 person to ANOTHER if that person

knows the other person.

Turn that line into a directional arrow from YOU to person B if YOU introduced person A to person B.

Person A:My Mom

Person B:My wife

Example: I introduced Mom to my wife

ME

SOCIAL OBJECT

SOCIAL OBJECTS Social networks are built around social objects, not vice

versa.

“The social object is the reason people are talking to each other” – Hugh MacLeod

Image: marc wathieu

SOCIALIZATION Socialization is not random, it is purposeful

Humans seek social connection 1 way we find it via social objects

What the object is may not matter It is a vehicle for connection

SOCIAL OBJECT EXAMPLE Apple iPhone

Example Source: MacLead

CONNECTING VIA SOCIAL OBJECTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURAL “SOCIAL OBJECTS”: MEMES A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas,

symbols, or practices. Transmitted from 1 person to another

Analogous to genes Self replicate Evolve & mutate

Source: Wikipedia

MEME EXAMPLES Feminist Ryan Gosling

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/feminist-ryan-gosling

“Binders full of women” http://bindersfullofwomen.tumblr.com/

LOL cats http://images.google.com search: LOL cats

SOCIAL OBJECT The conversation happening around object is what’s

valuable How can we start conversations?

Image: marc wathieu

THOUGHT QUESTION Social objects are 1 thing that connects us to others,

building social networks. What are other things that organize our connections with

others and build networks?

RETURN TO YOUR NETWORK Between each edge (the arrow), write any social object

you have in common with people directly connected to you. Ex

My roommate

Best Friend, John

ME

LacrosseZom

bie m

ovies

Dude fromclass

Thai food

SOCIAL CAPITAL

SOCIAL CAPITAL IS

'the number of people who can be expected to provide support and the resources those people have at their disposal” Taps “goodwill” available to a person/group. Can be converted into economic gain

Image: MixTribe Photo

SOCIAL CAPITAL Is not simply who you know But who you have access to via who the people you know.

Image: MixTribe Photo

SOCIAL CAPITAL IS Reciprocal

Your capital is directly tied to the capital of others You gain social capital by giving

Image: ~dip

SOCIAL CAPITAL Bonding Social Capital - strong ties with kin and close

friends that offers social support, builds collectivity, and is shared among people with similar values and goals (Lin, 2005; Putnam, 2000).

Bridging Social Capital - is goal-oriented and offers networking opportunities and access to external resources via extra-community ties (Gittell & Vidal, 1998; Putnam, 2000).

STRONG & WEAK TIES

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Which person is more important for spreading NEW information to as many people as possible

A) Telling 1 of your 5 best friends B) Telling an acquaintance in class

STRENGTH OF WEAK TIES

Groundbreaking study by Granovetter showed: Similar people tend to form strong ties

These ties tend to share similar information Cause a lot of overlap in info exchange

Therefore Weak ties most important ties in social networks Responsible for transmission of info between people

Ties

GRANOVETTER STATES:

“Intuitively speaking, this means that whatever is to be diffused (shared) can reach a larger number of people, and traverse greater social distance when passed through weak ties rather than strong.”

Ties

TIES THAT BIND Weak Ties

Can Become Strong Ties

But it is not necessary for them to for you to have success!

Weak ties are critical to info diffusion But more & new strong ties, means new weak ties

Image: Carolyn_Sewell

NETWORKS ON BOARD Some students come up and draw their networks. Then, we’ll see if any connections exist between them.