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On the Boundary Specification Problem in Network Analysis: An Update and Extension to Personal Social Networks

from III - Later Foundations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2021

By
Brea L. Perry  and
Adam R. Roth
Edited by
Mario L. Small ,
Brea L. Perry ,
Bernice Pescosolido  and
Edward B. Smith
Mario L. Small
Affiliation:
Harvard University, Massachusetts
Brea L. Perry
Affiliation:
Indiana University, Bloomington
Bernice Pescosolido
Affiliation:
Indiana University, Bloomington
Edward B. Smith
Affiliation:
Northwestern University, Illinois
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Summary

The social network perspective is guided by the theoretical premise that interconnectedness represents a fundamental mechanism of human action and outcomes. It shifts the focus from an object- or individual-oriented approach to a relational or interaction-oriented approach. As such, empirical investigations of social networks have in common that they (a) identify the specific actors in a network; and (b) characterize how these actors are connected (or not) to one another. The process of determining which actors and relationships should be included in a study of social networks is among the most important decisions a researcher must make, requiring a tight alliance of theory and method.

Type
Chapter
Information
Personal Networks
Classic Readings and New Directions in Egocentric Analysis
 , pp. 431 - 443
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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