Social Network Analysis
Charles Gasper, M.A.
Evaluation Director
TCC Group, New York, United States
Seth Tucker, n/a
Evaluation Analyst
TCC Group, United States
Location: Room 209
Abstract Information: In real estate, the mantra is “location, location, location.” Often with social network analysis, we focus on these things as well. We talk about neighborhoods, gate keeper or key nodes that either serve as hubs for the neighborhoods, connecting individuals together as a group, or as gatekeepers between the neighborhoods. Sure, we do talk about strength of networks, network size, and the like, but the story tends to end there. Rarely discussed is how these networks form and evolve over time. We miss those contextual factors that can affect those needs and connections.
This expert lecture discusses how to look beyond simple relationships to learn the deeper story of the network – using time as an additional variable to document shifts in the community and identify the underlying factors that could cause these shifts. We explore the use of layering multiple demographic and contextual variables to understand the formation and development of networks – focusing on the individuals’ needs and connections in aggregate, to tell the story of the formation and evolution of networks.
Relevance Statement: Due primarily to accessibility of data, much of social network analysis has been conducted at a single timepoint, offering a glimpse into what a network looks like at a specific moment. Few projects have been able to assess changes in a network over time. As a result, we tend to miss key contextual factors and demographics that might better explain why a network formed in the first place, much as less why certain roles such as gate keepers and key nodes are present in the network. We see the neighborhoods as they are and using additional data, can often name them, but we aren’t able to speak to why they formed, or what factors might help sustain them. Instead, we are limited to supposition of both sustainability as well as formation.
This expert lecture will explore the involvement of time as a variable for analysis, speaking to how to use this variable as a tool to better uncover the underlying factors that could cause the formation of connections, the distribution of members in the network, and its segmentation. Through our presentation, participants will learn how to adopt time as a variable of analysis, better understand the fluidity of networks, and be able to better tell the story of the formation, evolution, and possible sustainability of the networks they assess in the future.