Social Network Analysis: History, Theory and Methodology

Divided into sections: Historical & Background Concepts; Levels of Analysis; and, Advances, Extensions and Conclusions, this book offers an overview of the field - historical origins, common theoretical perspectives and frameworks; traditional and analytical procedures and fundamental mathematical equations needed to get a foothold in the field.
Appropriate for beginners and established researchers the book represents SNA in its entirety; as theory as well as method - and is carefully supported by up-to-date statistical models.
We live in a world that is paradoxically small and vast: each of us is embedded in local communities and yet we are only a few 'links' away from anyone else in the world. This engaging book represents these interdependencies' positive and negative consequences, their multiple effects and the ways in which a local occurrence in one part of the world can directly affect the rest. Then it demonstrates precisely how these interactions and relationships form. This is a book for the social network novice on learning how to study, think about and analyse social networks; the intermediate user, not yet familiar with some of the newer developments in the field; and the teacher looking for a range of exercises, as well as an up-to-date historical account of the field. It is divided into three sections: 1. Historical & Background Concepts 2. Levels of Analysis 3. Advances, Extensions and Conclusions The book provides a full overview of the field - historical origins, common theoretical perspectives and frameworks; traditional and current analytical procedures and fundamental mathematical equations needed to get a foothold in the field.