Abstract
We argue that it is impossible to conceptualize either the self independently of a person’s social networks, or a social network independently of the individual selves that constitute it. In order to substantiate this claim, we illustrate the manifold associations that are to be found between the structure and content of individual self-knowledge, on the one hand, and the structure and composition of a person’s social networks, on the other. We then go on to demonstrate how these correlations are formed by explicating specific mechanisms of how individuals and their networks mutually influence each other. In conclusion, we discuss the applicability of our reflections with respect to a central concept of self-reflective cognitions in educational contexts, namely, the self-concept of ability. We present the manner in which viewing this concept through the lens of social network analysis can stimulate future research and generate new insights.
Zusammenfassung
Wir argumentieren, dass das Selbst einer Person nicht unabhängig von ihren sozialen Netzwerken gedacht werden kann, sondern vielmehr dass sich beide wechselseitig beeinflussen. Um diese kontextualisierte Perspektive auf selbstbezogene Kognitionen zu substantiieren, zeigen wir die engen Korrespondenzen auf, die zwischen Struktur und Inhalten individuellen Selbstwissens auf der einen Seite und Struktur und Zusammensetzung der sozialen Netzwerke der Person auf der anderen Seite bestehen. Wir zeigen dann, wie diese Korrespondenzen zustande kommen, über welche Mechanismen also Selbst und Netzwerke sich wechselseitig beeinflussen. Schließlich diskutieren wir die Anwendbarkeit unserer Überlegungen in Bezug auf ein zentrales Konzept zu selbstbezogenen Kognitionen in Bildungskontexten: das Fähigkeitsselbstkonzept. Wir stellen dar, auf welche Weise die Neufassung dieses Konzepts mittels des Paradigmas der Sozialen Netzwerkanalyse zukünftige Forschung stimulieren und neue Einsichten generieren kann.
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Zander, L., Hannover, B. The self in educational contexts: how social networks shape self-related cognitions—and vice versa. Z Erziehungswiss 17 (Suppl 5), 225–240 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11618-014-0559-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11618-014-0559-5