Social Network Theory – Flashcards

People are interconnected, so their health is interconnected. Social networks affect health through a variety of mechanisms. Provision of social support (perceived and actual) Social influence (e.g., behavioral norms and social controls) Social engagement Person-to-person contact (e.g., pathogen exposure) Access to resources (e.g., money, jobs, information) Biological mechanisms (e.g., cytokine function, interleukin 6, and mental stimulation)

viewed in terms of nodes and ties. Nodes: individuals in the network Ties: relationships between the actors in the network (many types) A social network is a map of ties between the relevant nodes being studied.

0----0----0----0 nodes are the points, and the ties are the lines.

Emphasizes the strength of network relationships and ties rather than individual actor characteristics within the network Differs from traditional sociological theory and behavior theory Map subjects' networks and effects; rather than counting the people, they examine interrelationships - Useful for explaining real-world phenomena Relies less on individual agency and more on network structure

Size: number of people in the network Density: extent to which the people in the network know each other or are directly linked by social tie Connectivity: extent to which links in a social network are linked directly or indirectly via other contexts Boundedness: extent to which links come from different social contexts Homogeneity: extent to which links in a network resemble one another ex sorority Geodesic distance: smallest number of connections separating a node and a tie Centralization: extent to which network connectedness is dependent on only a few contacts Cohesion: network's connectedness in the face of the severance of ties

-Infectious disease epidemiology -Examination of how social relationships influence individual behavior -Examination of how individual behavior influences social relationships -Examination of levels of social capital of individual actors within a social network -Organizational dynamics

Example of SNT HIV and African Americans in the South: Simplest epidemiological models assume random mixing. Is appropriate for many diseases but not necessarily for sexually transmitted diseases Does not take into account partner selection processes and biases Core infection model for social networks among black MSM Not high-risk behavior but interactions within a population that has higher rates of both STI and HIV infection (a network issue

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xample of commercial sex workers (black dots) and customers of commercial sex workers No interactions between black dots- they are interacting with people on the outside- however the fact that too many people on the outside interact with the black dots puts them at greater risk

Injection drug using networks interacting with noninjection drug using community with one person serving as the bridge

Spanning tree characterized by few cycles (i.e., degrees of separation) Low redundancy Low overall density

Is drawn from the study of sexual networks Shows that sexually transmitted infections are transmitted when: Networks are highly interactive Large numbers of microstructures are present Geographic distance between network members is short

Areas of the rural south with high HIV rates also had: Extensive sexual concurrency Evidence of dense sexual networks Sexual bridging between general population and high-risk, high-prevalence subgroups Socioeconomic forces increase the likelihood of these patterns that contribute to HIV spread: Racial discrimination Economic deprivation Residential segregation High rates of imprisonment

Generally micro-level or interpersonal connections. Micro-level interactions socially condition our knowledge and experience of popular culture.

Social networks can reinforce or disrupt existing social norms. Social networks have the power to drive individual behavior choices. --Clothing, whom one dates or marries, leisure activities --Health behaviors (food, exercise)

One member of a social network initiates and maintains a behavior change. Example: Delivering a weight-loss intervention to one adult triggers substantial weight loss in that person's friends. Weight-loss interventions targeting social networks are more effective than those that target isolated individuals.

Refers to the features of social structures that act as resources for people and facilitate collective action ex Trust Mutual assistance Norms of reciprocity For an individual actor, is dependent on connections with others and degree to which reciprocity is honored - Neighborhood watch groups (only work if members look out for each other ie reciprocity honored) - Support groups esp those recovering from addiction - Child-care collectives

Examine how companies interact with each other and among themselves Characterize the connections that link within and across levels of leadership in an organization Describe connections between individual employees within and between companies

4 ypes of supportive behaviours: 1/ emotional support 2. Instrumental support 3. Inormational support 4e/ Appraisal support social support always intended to be supportive ie conciously provided