Social Network Analysis
Tatiana Bustos, PhD
Researcher and facilitator
RTI International, Transformative Research Unit for Equity, Washington, United States
Tatiana Bustos, PhD
Researcher and facilitator
RTI International, Transformative Research Unit for Equity, Washington, United States
Location: Room 301
Social network analysis (SNA) is a systems science methodology that can be used to examine complex systems among partnerships. Network theories assert that patterns or positions embedded in a partnership’s structure carry important implications for power dynamics and resource distributions—components relevant to shaping narratives of equity. Sensemaking is also critical for storytelling of data. Sensemaking, in the context of participatory practice, enables collective understanding of data from perceived and shared experiences of participants. Sensemaking offers different ways of coming to tell the story of data, leveraging the knowledge and lived experiences of communities most directly impacted. Using sensemaking with SNA, this workshop will demonstrate how to generate stories that describe context and impose meaning from network data. The workshop will introduce SNA and how SNA can be used to examine partnerships, emphasizing theories on power dynamics. Using existing network data, the workshop will apply sensemaking and have attendees share stories that convey their interpretations of results. With a data walk of multiple sociographs (e.g., network maps) from a Flint public health partnership, attendees will provide collective interpretations on sticky notes. Sociographs will highlight different partnership qualities to show how relationship patterns change based on qualities and components. We will discuss how multiple perspectives can enhance storytelling of even the most complex datasets. Participants will leave with a better understanding on SNA and knowledge on the power of sensemaking to dive deeper into storytelling fueled from the lived experiences of communities.