Building a Mentoring Community: Some Insights from the Social Sciences Sue Monahan Department of Sociology & Anthropology Montana State University

What are our hopes for mentoring? Strong one-to-one relationships Support Feedback, guidance and advice Opportunities Advocacy and enhancing visibility Increased productivity and focus

Social capital is a quality of a community A community with strong social capital has: ◦ Clearly articulated norms and expectations ◦ Networks through which valuable information flows ◦ Trust in group members and group processes A community with strong social capital is: ◦ Collectively, more productive

The organizational sociologist in me… First line of defense for mentoring: Department Heads and Chairs ◦ Effective annual reviews ◦ Career and professional planning ◦ Helping faculty access resources and expertise ◦ Key nodes in an effective collegial network Chairs and head embody social capital. Training and community for heads/chairs pays off for departments and institutions.

The strength of weak ties

Advantages of weak ties Otherwise unavailable opportunities Introduction to whole new networks New knowledge, ideas and perspectives Enhanced standing and visibility for boundary spanners Lower stakes, less personal, less intense

How to find weak ties Interdisciplinary research and teaching Meaningful committee work Involvement in professional activities Institution-wide forums and colloquia These are not just burdens – they can be opportunities when used strategically.

Challenges of pursuing weak ties Seeking advice and support from unfamiliar people Going outside a comfortable intellectual community Potential difficulties in communicating across sub-specialties or disciplines Working with people who operate with different norms and bases of trust