On Network Theory
On Network Theory
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DOI：
10.1287/orsc.1100.0641
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发表时间：
2011-09-01
影响因子：
4.1
通讯作者：
Halgin, Daniel S.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Borgatti, Stephen P.;Halgin, Daniel S.
对社交网络的研究在过去十年中有了相当大的增长。然而，网络理论存在一定的困惑，例如，它是什么，它有什么独特之处，以及如何产生新的理论。本文试图通过澄清该领域的基本概念（如网络）和描述网络推理的工作原理来纠正这种情况。我们首先考虑网络的定义，注意到两种不同的观点造成的一些混乱，我们称之为现实主义和唯名论。然后，我们分析了两个著名的网络理论，格兰维特的弱关系强度理论[格兰维特，M。S. 1973.弱关系的力量。78（6）1360-1380]和Burt的结构洞理论[Burt，R. S. 1992.结构洞：竞争的社会结构。哈佛大学出版社，剑桥，MA]，以确定网络理论化的特征元素。我们认为，这两种理论共享一个基本的理论模型，我们标记的网络流模型，从中我们得到额外的影响。我们还讨论了网络现象，似乎不适合流动模型，并讨论了第二个基本模型，我们称之为债券模型的可能性。最后，我们讨论了基于模型的网络理论化的优点，以促进新理论的产生，以及在网络理论化的内隐性的讨论。
Research on social networks has grown considerably in the last decade. However, there is a certain amount of confusion about network theory-for example, what it is, what is distinctive about it, and how to generate new theory. This paper attempts to remedy the situation by clarifying the fundamental concepts of the field (such as the network) and characterizing how network reasoning works. We start by considering the definition of network, noting some confusion caused by two different perspectives, which we refer to as realist and nominalist. We then analyze two well-known network theories, Granovetter's strength of weak ties theory [Granovetter, M. S. 1973. The strength of weak ties. Amer. J. Sociol. 78(6) 1360-1380] and Burt's structural holes theory [Burt, R. S. 1992. Structural Holes: The Social Structure of Competition. Havard University Press, Cambridge, MA], to identify characteristic elements of network theorizing. We argue that both theories share an underlying theoretical model, which we label the network flow model, from which we derive additional implications. We also discuss network phenomena that do not appear to fit the flow model and discuss the possibility of a second fundamental model, which we call the bond model. We close with a discussion of the merits of model-based network theorizing for facilitating the generation of new theory, as well as a discussion of endogeneity in network theorizing.