Post on 18-Jan-2017
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.