Social Network Analysis
This course will introduce theories of social networks (how they form, and how they influence thoughts, feelings, and behaviors), while also providing hands-on experience with some powerful methods and tools for analyzing networks on various scales, ranging from small groups, to communities, to populations.
It will also explore the use of network analysis to reveal patterns in large-scale data from the humanities such as literary periods, or character development across vast narratives with multiple interweaving plot lines.
We will explore how this field emerged and how the first analytic tools were developed, and look closely at some of the landmark studies since then that have applied social network analysis to understanding (for example) the evolution of cooperation, the dynamics of social capital, and the formation of social identity.
We’ll also review case studies where an appreciation of social network dynamics has informed policy innovations in public health and other domains, with particular attention on how positive patterns of social support and community engagement can be cultivated to promote socio-emotional resilience throughout the lifecourse, and even strengthen civil society.
- Teacher: David Hopping