Social Networks Class 12

What is a social role?

A socially defined pattern of behavior expected from someone in a particular position or category

Why are social roles important in network analysis?

They define how people interact in a network, not just their group, but their position and expected behavior

What is structural equivalence?

Two nodes are structurally equivalent if they have identical ties to and from the exact same other nodes

How can you check for structural equivalence?

Look at the adjacency matrix, if two nodes have the same rows and column.

What are some examples of structural equivalence?

a. Two employees who supervise and are supervised by exactly the same people.

b. (In a family network) Two siblings who have identical ties to parents and cousins​.

What is automorphic equivalence?

Two nodes are equivalent if they occupy similar positions in the network structure, even if they aren’t tied to the same specific people

Real-life example of automorphic equivalence?

Two department heads in separate offices, both oversee a team, but the teams are different.

What is regular equivalence?

If two nodes relate to the same kinds of actors, even if the actors themselves differ.

Real-life example of regular equivalence?

All teachers at a school: each teaches students, even though the specific students differ.

What is block modeling in network analysis?

Grouping nodes that are equivalent (structural, automorphic, or regular) into blocks to simplify the network

What does a block model show?

How groups (roles) connect to each other rather than focusing on individuals.