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PubMedDate not supplied

The relevance of social network concepts to sexually transmitted disease control.

Many of the concepts of social network analysis have been tacit assumptions of sexually transmitted disease control efforts for decades. With the advent of AIDS in the 1980s, an overt rapprochement between these two fields--previously separated by culture, context, and language--was made. Social network constructs have immediate appeal to disease control workers, who view many diseases as following the conduits of social interactions. STDs and HIV, in turn, provide network analysts and those who model disease transmission with substantial sets of empirical data that test and illuminate theory. Disease control efforts can be enhanced by incorporating network concepts overtly into current practices. Such concepts offer a path to better delineation of groups at risk, to a better understanding of the interaction of personal risk taking and the social context, and to evaluation of control mechanisms.

Female↗

PubMedDate not supplied

MatrixExplorer: a dual-representation system to explore social networks.

MatrixExplorer is a network visualization system that uses two representations: node-link diagrams and matrices. Its design comes from a list of requirements formalized after several interviews and a participatory design session conducted with social science researchers. Although matrices are commonly used in social networks analysis, very few systems support the matrix-based representations to visualize and analyze networks. MatrixExplorer provides several novel features to support the exploration of social networks with a matrix-based representation, in addition to the standard interactive filtering and clustering functions. It provides tools to reorder (layout) matrices, to annotate and compare findings across different layouts and find consensus among several clusterings. MatrixExplorer also supports Node-link diagram views which are familiar to most users and remain a convenient way to publish or communicate exploration results. Matrix and node-link representations are kept synchronized at all stages of the exploration process.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2004

Affect networks: a structural analysis of the relationship between work ties and job-related affect.

The relationship between organizational networks and employees' affect was examined in 2 organizations. In Study 1, social network analysis of work ties and job-related affect for 259 employees showed that affect converged within work interaction groups. Similarity of affect between employees depended on the presence of work ties and structural equivalence. Affect was also related to the size and density of employees' work networks. Study 2 used a 10-week diary study of 31 employees to examine a merger of 2 organizational divisions and found that negative changes in employees' affect were related to having fewer cross-divisional ties and to experiencing greater reductions in network density. The findings suggest that affect permeates through and is shaped by organizational networks.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Networks of persons with syphilis and at risk for syphilis in Louisiana: evidence of core transmitters.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Differences in sociodemographic attributes and healthcare access may explain differences in regional sexually transmitted disease rates but don't fully explain why syphilis persists disproportionately in certain populations. GOAL OF THIS STUDY: To understand the behavioral epidemiology of syphilis, we conducted a social network analysis of persons with syphilis and their contacts and developed and applied a definition of core transmitters. STUDY DESIGN: We interviewed 10 index persons with primary or secondary untreated syphilis and 80 of their named sexual and social contacts. RESULTS: Fourteen (16%) of 90 interviewed persons met the definition of core transmitters, 9 of whom had past or current syphilis. The other interviewed persons had only moderately risky behaviors. Seventy-eight (42%) of the network sexual contacts were connected directly or indirectly to a core transmitter. CONCLUSION: This analysis suggests that syphilis transmission is maintained by a community with a small percentage of high-risk persons centrally placed amidst a larger group with moderately risky behavior.

Adult↗

PubMed1981

Measuring social interaction of the urban elderly: a methodological synthesis.

In general, the gerontological literature has characterized the inner-city elderly, especially those aged residing in single room occupancy hotels, as "isolates" or "loners". However, it is proposed that the notion of isolation is largely a myth and that many studies have been hampered by inadequate research instruments. This paper illustrates: 1) The severe limitations of the traditional measures of determining sociability; 2) How social network analysis can overcome many of the deficiencies of other methods; and 3) How a synthesis of the anthropological and sociological approaches to network analysis can optimize data collection and provide culturally meaningful information.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The peer group as a context for the development of young adolescent motivation and achievement.

This study investigated the peer group as a context for the socialization of young adolescents' motivation and achievement in school. Social network analysis was used to identify peer groups of adolescents in middle school whose members regularly interacted with each other (N = 331). Actual reports from these peer group members were used to assess peer group characteristics. Multilevel analyses indicated that peer groups did socialize some academic characteristics, controlling for selection factors. Students' peer group context in the fall predicted changes in their liking and enjoyment of school (intrinsic value) and their achievement over the school year. Students' peer group context was unrelated to changes in their beliefs about the importance of school (utility value) or expectancies for success over the school year.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

The people who make organizations go--or stop.

Managers invariably use their personal contacts when they need to, say, meet an impossible deadline or learn the truth about a new boss. Increasingly, it's through these informal networks--not just through traditional organizational hierarchies--that information is found and work gets done. But to many senior executives, informal networks are unobservable and ungovernable--and, therefore, not amenable to the tools of management. As a result, executives tend to work around informal networks or, worse, try to ignore them. When they do acknowledge the networks' existence, executives fall back on intuition--scarcely a dependable tool--to guide them in nurturing this social capital. It doesn't have to be that way. It is entirely possible to develop and manage informal networks systematically, say management experts Cross and Prusak. Specifically, senior executives need to focus their attention on four key role-players in informal networks: Central connectors link most employees in an informal network with one another; they provide the critical information or expertise that the entire network draws on to get work done. Boundary spanners connect an informal network with other parts of the company or with similar networks in other organizations. Information brokers link different subgroups in an informal network; if they didn't, the network would splinter into smaller, less effective segments. And finally, there are peripheral specialists, who anyone in an informal network can turn to for specialized expertise but who work apart from most people in the network. The authors describe the four roles in detail, discuss the use of a well-established tool called social network analysis for determining who these role-players are in the network, and suggest ways that executives can transform ineffective informal networks into productive ones.

Administrative Personnel↗

PubMed2006

Promoting breastfeeding in Bolivia: do social networks add to the predictive value of traditional socioeconomic characteristics?

This study tested whether the prediction of health-related knowledge (correct breastfeeding practices in this case) could be improved by including information about the composition of an individual's personal network above and beyond that predicted by his/her socioeconomic or demographic characteristics. Few studies have tested the predictive value of social networks, especially for population-based studies, despite an increased use of social networks in the past few years in several fields of health research, especially in research relating to prevention of HIV/AIDS and design of HIV/AIDS programmes. Promotion of breastfeeding practices that enhance child survival is important in Bolivia because of high infant morbidity and mortality in the country. Data on a cross-sectional urban probability sample of 2,354 women and men aged 15-49 years were collected from seven urban areas in Bolivia. Model building and the log likelihood ratio criteria were used for assessing the significance of variables in a logistic model. Results showed that the network variables added significantly (p < 0.05 for knowledge of breastfeeding only with no other liquids and for knowledge of breastfeeding only with no solids p < 0.01) to the predictive power of the socioeconomic variables. These results may also hold for other health research areas, increasingly using social network analysis, such as that of HIV/AIDS.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

On the importance of peer influence for adolescent drug use: commonly neglected considerations.

Peer influence is generally believed to be a major cause of adolescent drug behavior. This paper reviews research findings on friend selection and projection to suggest that the magnitude of friend influence may be overestimated. This paper also observes that, although adolescent drug use is assumed to begin in response to peer group influence, peer groups have rarely been measured in studies of drug behavior. Social network analysis is identified as a promising method for measuring peer groups. The implications of this review for research and programs are considered.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1983

Social networks and work/nonwork life: action-research with nurse managers.

An action-research project with hospital nurses is reported which explores the utility of social network analysis for understanding and enhancing the quality of work life. Based on a framework for conceptualizing work stressors, we present a rationale for developing resource-support groups. These groups combine emotional support, group problem-solving, and participatory decision-making within the context of developing programs and policies to enhance the quality of working life. A workshop help for nurse managers focused on the potential for using these groups to achieve specific, prioritized goals. To study the ecology of work/nonwork life, we obtained data from workshop participants on both their work and nonwork social networks. We found these to be almost totally segmented. Personal, organizational, and sociocultural variables that may account for this pattern are examined. Implications are also discussed for developing support programs and for empowering nursing as a profession.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Tapping into hospital champions--strategic middle managers.

A social network analysis of eighty-nine midlevel health care professionals showed that middle managers' strategic knowledge is positively associated with championing alternative ideas and synthesizing new information for upper management. In addition, the relationship between knowledge and middle management strategic activities in informal networks is moderated by the manager's social position.

Catholicism↗

PubMed2005

Determinants and consequences of sexual networks as they affect the spread of sexually transmitted infections.

Because pathogens spread only within the unique context of a sexual union between people when one person is infectious, the other is susceptible to new infection, and condoms are not used to prevent transmission, the epidemiological study of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is particularly challenging. Social network analysis entails the study of ties among people and how the structure and quality of such ties affect individuals and overall group dynamics. Although ascertaining complete sexual networks is difficult, application of this approach has provided unique insights into the spread of STIs that traditional individual-based epidemiological methods do not capture. This article provides a brief background on the design and assessments of studies of social networks, to illustrate how these methods have been applied to understanding the distribution of STIs, to inform the development of interventions for STI control.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

The social epidemiology of international drug trafficking: comparison of source of supply and distribution networks.

A variety of strategies have been implemented in an attempt to limit or prevent drug trafficking. Efforts have focused on reducing the supply of drugs, but they have not been very effective. There has been a shift recently to demand-reduction activities, but it is uncertain whether this approach will prove to be valuable. Most of the strategies that are employed are based upon the law enforcement approach. Alternative perspectives, based on principles of epidemiology and social network analysis, are presented and discussed in the context of studying drug trafficking on a global scale. More research and better sources of data and information are needed to delineate the relationship between availability and use, so that we might more effectively focus prevention activities.

Cross-Cultural Comparison↗

PubMed1992

The roles staff play in the social networks of elderly institutionalized people.

This paper concerns different ways in which nursing home residents interpret their relationships with institution staff. The research on which it is based involved an anthropological social network analysis. Analysis revealed different patterns of resident-staff interaction that are described in relation to four types of personal networks. Their meaning is interpreted in terms of the tensions between residents' common needs for attachment and autonomy and their limited means to achieve satisfaction.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Reconceptualizing quantitative and qualitative methods: a case study dealing with place as an exemplar.

A useful framework for understanding methods is to think of them as being on a continuum of holistic and pattern focused to particularistic and specific. This paper argues for this conceptualization rather than thinking of quantitative and qualitative methods as oppositional and potentially contradictory. A case study provides an example of using both quantitative and qualitative methods in a holistic and pattern-focused study, while also attending to the values and goals of community psychology. The substantive research goal is to understand a child's experience of places related to school. Methods include ethnographic long-term participation and observation, interviews, multidimensional scaling, and social network analysis. Most quantitative method variables are generated from study participants; no outside structure is imposed. The quantitative methods extend and inform the qualitative methods, just as the qualitative methods extend and inform the quantitative methods. The quantitative and qualitative methods work reciprocally to extend and inform each other.

Black or African American↗

PubMed2003

Social networks, social support, health and HIV-positive gay men.

The present pilot study explored the experiences of social support on the part of a number of HIV-positive gay men. It drew upon the growing body of literature that highlights links between social support, and the health and well-being of people with chronic illnesses. In particular, it drew upon the way in which social network analysis can be used to illustrate patterns of both emotional support and instrumental support. The study informants were 30 HIV-positive gay men who were recruited through community support organisations which they accessed at the time of the study. The findings highlighted patterns of support among members of this marginalised community. At a time when access to treatment is extending the life expectancy of people infected with HIV and when, in the UK at least, there are major changes in the funding of HIV services, this paper raises pertinent questions about the impact of social support on people suffering from this illness and about the development of appropriate services.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Getting the big picture in community science: methods that capture context.

Community science has a rich tradition of using theories and research designs that are consistent with its core value of contextualism. However, a survey of empirical articles published in the American Journal of Community Psychology shows that community scientists utilize a narrow range of statistical tools that are not well suited to assess contextual data. Multilevel modeling, geographic information systems (GIS), social network analysis, and cluster analysis are recommended as useful tools to address contextual questions in community science. An argument for increased methodological consilience is presented, where community scientists are encouraged to adopt statistical methodology that is capable of modeling a greater proportion of the data than is typical with traditional methods.

Cluster Analysis↗

PubMed2003

A network-informed approach to investigating a tuberculosis outbreak: implications for enhancing contact investigations.

BACKGROUND: To elucidate networks of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission, it may be appropriate to characterize the types of relationships among tuberculosis (TB) cases and their contacts (with and without latent TB infection) in addition to relying on traditional efforts to distinguish 'close' from 'casual' contacts. SETTING: A TB outbreak in a US low incidence state. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether social network analysis can provide insights into transmission settings that might otherwise go unrecognized by routine practices. DESIGN: All adult outbreak-associated cases (n = 19) and a convenience sample of their contacts with and without latent TB infection (LTBI) (n = 26) were re-interviewed in 2001 using a structured questionnaire. Network analysis software was used to create diagrams illustrating important persons within the outbreak network, as well as types of activities TB cases engaged in with their contacts. RESULTS: Drug use and drug sharing were more commonly reported among cases and their infected contacts than among contacts without LTBI. TB cases central to the outbreak network used crack cocaine, uncovering the need to focus control efforts on specific sites and persons involved in illicit drug use. CONCLUSION: Outbreaks occur even in areas with low TB incidence, frequently among groups whose drug use or other illegal activities complicate control efforts. TB programs should consider the use of network analysis as a supplement to routine contact investigations to identify unrecognized patterns of M. tuberculosis transmission.

Adolescent↗