Understanding Relations. An introduction to the Theory and Practice of Social Networks: course description
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Renzo Derosas, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia
This course is intended as a theoretical, methodological, and practical introduction to the analysis of social networks. There has been a dramatic rise in the use of social network analysis over the last decade. Though network analysis is an interdisciplinary endeavour, its roots can be found in classical anthropology and sociology. Essentially, network analysis focuses on patterns of relations between actors and acknowledges that an individual’s behavior is influenced by those around them. Contrary to the assumptions of usual statistical approaches, in SNA actors and their actions are viewed as interdependent rather than independent units. This view means that the unit of analysis is not the individual, but an entity consisting of the individuals and the linkages connecting them. Both relations and actors can be defined in many ways, depending on the substantive area of inquiry. For example, network analysis has been used to study the structure of affective links between persons, flows of commodities between organizations, shared members between social movement organizations, and shared needles between drug users. What is central is an emphasis on the structure of relationality, which serves to link micro- and macro-level processes. The course will provide an overview of social network analysis, theories and methods, and their application to social science disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, history, economics, and political analysis. Besides reading and discussing historical and sociological texts and policy study literature, we will conduct collaborative empirical analyses of social networks. Willingness to conduct empirical research (content and reference analyses) is condition for participating in this course. No previous experience is necessary. Students will, with reasonable diligence, become familiar with the main topics and questions of social network analysis; be able to evaluate critically the different methods and approaches to the description of relational structures and explanation of social behaviour; understand the basic procedures of statistical testing of hypotheses in the social sciences. Transferable skills: ability to assess critically evidence; to digest and understand different approaches to history and social sciences; oral presentation; succinct and well-structured written composition; inter-personal communication; time-management; self-directed study.
The course is designed as a combination of lecture and class discussion. Lectures are intended to provide a basic foundation in methodological issues and concepts. Assigned readings give the student an opportunity to know classic works in social network analysis, to explore particular issues in more detail, and also to present specific case studies where topics and concepts are discussed in an applied setting. Readings are intended to complement lecture and provide discussion material for class. They are not designed to replace the information presented during lecture.
