Social Networks Seminar (Soc 148/294)

 

The purpose of this seminar is to explore and discuss the frontier of substantive (non-methodological) research on social networks in Sociology, where this frontier is manifested in articles that have appeared in mainstream sociological journals. Since orientation of the course is substantive, we will not be spending much time on the methodological foundations of the findings presented in the articles. Our discussion will focus on the research problem of the article, the findings, the conclusions, and how social networks entered into the analysis and thinking of the author(s).

  

 

Week 1 Introduction to Social Networks

 

Your first assignment is browse through the selected list of articles and email friedkin@soc.ucsb.edu your top five choices for reading and discussion this quarter: email me the article number (or names of the authors and the titles of the articles) ranked in order of your preference.

 

Your reading assignment for this week is an article that I have selected:  

Van den Bulte, C. and G. L. Lilien. 2001. "Medical Innovation Revisited: Social Contagion versus Marketing Effort."
American Journal of Sociology  106: 1409-35.

You can get this article in one of two ways:

 

Go to http://www.jstor.org. Type an author’s last name and search. Several articles may appear. Locate the one that we are reading and click on the title.

 

or

 

If your computer can read pdf files, go to my webpage http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/faculty/friedkin/  Click on Course Syllabi. Click on Soc 148/294.
Click on reading schedule. Click the article (pdf file).  

 

After locating an article, you may either print it, or read it online and take notes.

 

 

Writing Assignment: for each article on the syllabus: 

1.      Describe the research problem that is dealt with by the author(s).
2.     Describe the main findings, arguments and conclusions presented in the article, and
3.    Discuss how social networks entered into the analysis and thinking of the author(s).
 
For each article, do this in 3-5 double-spaced type written pages.

 

Come to class prepared to discuss the articles. I will lead the discussion.  Be prepared for me to call on you by name and ask for your comments. I expect the active participation of many students in the discussion. Do not take this course if you are uncomfortable with this expectation.

 

NB. As you will see, many different substantive fields and methods are represented, so that you should have little trouble finding articles to discuss related to your interests. Not all of the articles in the bibliography may actually deal with data on one more social networks. In some cases there may only be a loose metaphorical reference to social networks and no real analysis of any network structure. I leave the choice of the articles up to you; presumably, since you are in this seminar, you will choose articles that involve social networks in the way that you are interested in dealing with them. That is fine with me.

 

 

Week 2 and Onwards

 

Over the weekend, I will compose the reading schedule for the quarter – one article per week – based on your selections. I cannot promise that all, or any, of your own selections will be included in the reading schedule. But I do promise that all of the readings will be articles that one or more of you have selected.

 

The written assignment and expectation of participation in class discussion will be the same each week.