Social networks

Capital

  • economic

  • human (education/skills)

  • cultural (knowledge of social codes)

  • social (resources of friends)


Social capital theory

  1. Social resource hypothesis - if pers. has more social capital they will be more able to attain their goals

  2. Investment hypothesis - a pers. will invest in rel. depending on expected value of future benefits.


Two sources

  1. Neo-Weberianism - interest driven actors who try to improve their life chances via use of social ties

  • actors with more resources realize their interests to a large degree

  • Weber’s resources: economic, political, symbolic + social


  1. Rational choice sociology - goal directed actors who try to maximize well-being

  • indiv. choose action that brings highest relative return, given logic of situation, goals, possibilites present etc

  • social institutions tell you by which means to achieve your goals


Social network analysis (SNA)

Soc. net. = a set of actors and the relations that hold them together

SNA = study of patterns of social relations


Long term changes in friendships

  • Modernization theory: urbanization, communication, transport → more contacts over long distances


Granovetter

  • strong ties - ppl you interact with often, they often resemble you in education, social status etc + dense network, your friends likely know each other

  • weak ties - can act as bridges bet. groups → supply new info and other resources


Burt

  • structural holes = lack of social ties bet. communities

  • broker = person who acts as connection bet. communities → has adv in info (non-redundant contacts, exclusivity of knowledge etc)


Whole network cohesion

  1. density - proportion of possible links in network that actually exists

  2. subgroups/ cliques

  3. centrality - number of direct links of an individual