Social Network Analysis

Social Network Analysis: Origin and Introduction

The origins of Social Network Theory can be observed in the works of such sociologists as Ferdinand Tönnies, Émile Durkheim, and Georg Simmel, as well as in the works devoted to sociometry, such as the one by Jacob Moreno on sociograms. Moreover, researchers interested in holism study the importance of structure over individual entities and the way structures govern the performance of people. Although the interest on social networks can be traced back to the previous centuries, its great popularity can be observed in modern times. The reasons for this state are as follows. First of all, technology has led to the proliferation of social networks, nowadays also available on the web. Thus, an individual has the opportunity to enter into relationships not only in the “standard” way, but also in the online one, by participating in online discussion lists or social online networking tools. In addition, the performance of social networks in the...