Emergence of Networks: Summary
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Relationships
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Rationalist Explanation
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Externalities from functional interdependence
Low transaction costs
Structuralist Explanation
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consist of repeated exchange of resources and commitments
are governed by ‘rules of the game’ pre- or proscribing
behavior, shared by two or more actors
Network embeddedness through structural interdependence
Monitoring
Culturalist Explanation
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Shared identities through cognitive interdependence
Credible signals
June 29, 2005
QMSS Summerschool, Ljubljana
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Theoretical Implications
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Good “network” explanations
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require the specification of interdependencies
explicate the theoretical paradigm and its
underlying actor assumptions
explicate a social mechanism linking the
macro condition and the collective outcome
June 29, 2005
QMSS Summerschool, Ljubljana
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Interdependencies
Interdependencies
Kula Example
Tie Content
 Visits
 Ceremonial items
 Food
 Pottery etc.
 Social approval
June 29, 2005
Structure
 ‘Ring’
 Triad
 Centrality (Tubetube)
 Power (M. Bennets)
 Density
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Social Mechanisms
Social Mechanisms: Example
Village A
 High mean calory
intake
 Dense social structure
June 29, 2005
Village B
 Low mean calory
intake
 Sparse social structure
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Social Mechanism 1: Control
Macrolevel
Village Network
Density
Village Physcial
Well-Being
Microlevel
Individual
Social Conrol
Individual
Sharing
June 29, 2005
QMSS Summerschool, Ljubljana
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Social Mechanism 2: Solidarity
Macrolevel
Village Network
Density
Village Physcial
Well-Being
Microlevel
Prosocial
Motivation
Sharing
June 29, 2005
QMSS Summerschool, Ljubljana
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Social Mechanisms: Summary
MacroLevel
Macroconditions
Collective
Outcome
Situational
Mechanism
MicroLevel
Transformation
Mechanism
Individual
restrictions and
preferences
Individual
Behavior
Action-Formation
Mechanism
June 29, 2005
QMSS Summerschool, Ljubljana
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Theories of Action
Theories of Action and Actor
Assumptions Compared
Discipline
Economics New Economic Sociology
Sociology
Assumption Rationalis
m
Rationality
Structuralism Culturalism
Full
Bounded
Procedural
Opportunism, gain
Weak Solidarity
Strong
Solidarity
Well-Being
Mat. & Phys.
Wellbeing
Mat., Phys.,
Social Wb
Social
Wellbeing
Embeddedness
Functional
Structural
Normative/
Cognitive
Goals
June 29, 2005
QMSS Summerschool, Ljubljana
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Theories of Action and Actor
Assumptions Compared
Rationalist
Dimensions
Interests
Identities
Institutions
individual
preferences
and beliefs
autonomous
preferences
and beliefs
equilibria of
strategic
interactions
Structuralist Culturalist
structural
position
social
identity
derivative of
structural
position
deep power
relations
constitutive
of
individuals
embedded
norms
Source: Lichbach (2003), p. 132
June 29, 2005
QMSS Summerschool, Ljubljana
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Example: Networks and Social
Control in Organizations
The Case of a Management Team in a
German Paper Factory