How Complexity Leads to Simplicity
TED talk presented by Eric Berlow.
Social Network analysis is complex. To think otherwise does a great disservice to those nodes who may not be directly linked together. Think about your own social circles and how petty some of those linkages can become and the evolution that occurs over time. Example: I can no longer talk to A, someone who is 4 nodes away from me, because B, who is 2 nodes away, doesn't like them and would be crushed if I talked to them. Sounds lame, right? But does it sound impossible? Complexity Theory or Complex Systems allows us to magnify these types of networks and understand what the actions of the individual agents affect. This is a broad topic that takes into account a multitude of actors and interrelated systems.
Sources in order of use:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThV4pnPbI8E
So how can this be used to better understand personal and/or organizational relations? Does this mean anything for the future of how we view or analyze networked relations?
ReplyDeleteA network analysis shows a social-ecological system. By scaling out we can see more of the various linkages and nodes. In my mind the general goal of any network is sustainability, and perhaps even growth. An objective in fulfillment of the goal could be to incorporate diversity within the network. Diversity would help to avoid nodes de-linking. The validity for the network relationships has to be expanded. Going from a localized perspective to the full system helps explain what is really going on.
ReplyDeleteIf anything, I think the future of network analysis will grow and will be incorporated into more disciplines. Clay Shirky has a good TED talk regarding Social Networks and moving information: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/clay_shirky_how_cellphones_twitter_facebook_can_make_history.html . There are new Power and Economic motivations occurring with the evolution of information dispersal.
So after all of that here is my simple conclusion. If you can understand the complexity of the network, you can make more money.