Community Informatics Summer School July 4, 2012 / Day 3 Social networks and social capital: Wellman … Coleman+ … Williams

Topics 1.A note on the importance of mapping 2.Social networks 3.Social capital 4.Applying these two theories in a community informatics study

Urban sociology: does community persist in the industrial city? Wellman and Leighton: is community = neighborhood? Jane Addams, Chicago 1890s

Barry Leighton Barry’s first phd student Australian, migrated to Canada Researcher-consultant Barry Wellman Educated by early urban sociologists US, emigrated to Toronto Leader in social network analysis

1970s: sociologists start thinking of a community as a network

W & L summarize others’ research Community LOST: fewer social ties, people’s needs are met by large bureaucracies, people are isolated no community Community SAVED: urban village is strong and close-knit, local people form strong ties and help each other community = neighborhood Community LIBERATED: urbanites are cosmopolitans, their social networks span the metropolis community ≠ neighborhood

Each theory has policy implications (theory makes a difference – D7) Community lost : Either leave people neglected, or use bureaucracies (government, corporations), because they do not rely on any social ties Community saved: Support the local help networks, get or give services in the neighborhood Community liberated : Provide support via multiple networks, near and far. Rely on telecommunications and travel for resource giving and getting

James Coleman University of Chicago Sociologist Focused on equality in education Nan Lin 林南 Duke University Born Chongqing educated in Taiwan/US 1979 partnered with Nankai

Different findings, each meaningful Coleman (d. 1995): Closed networks are powerful, produce social capital (resources) for their members Diamond merchants require high trust Secret organizations work in tiny cells Lin : Open networks are powerful, produce social capital for their members Often people outside your close networks bring you new resources and Net can maximize our social capital!

Social capital = resources available through one’s social networks 1 strong ties = bonding social capital, weak ties = bridging social capital 2 1 LIN, Nan. Social Capital: A Theory of Social Structure and Action. London: Cambridge University Press, PUTNAM, Robert. Bowling Alone from GRANOVETTER

Manchester study by Williams published in CJLIS

Using social network and social capital theory to ask: How can community’s own life bridge the digital divide?

Interviewed people from 31 groups… …including tenant groups

…cultural groups

…and social support groups

Relationship between purpose and IT use: Downloaders: , creating documents— some IT use Uploaders: maintaining group websites— more IT use Cyberorganizers: helping others become downloaders and uploaders—most IT use 7 9 4

Social capital/social networks: asking about the groups IT helpers Where do they work, what are their duties? 24. Do they live within a mile of you? 25. How often do you see them? 26. Have you invited them to your home, or have they invited you to theirs? 27. Would you say they are family, friend, workmate, or acquaintance?

Social capital/social network diagrams

Social capital matters, strong ties dominate More social capital (more helpers) = more IT use 73% of helpers are friends, family 60% are volunteering, not paid 54% are seen frequently ( >1x fortnight) 52% have visited in the home 42% live within a mile

Questions, discussion