Teacher(s)
Language
English
Prerequisites
The course aims to equip students with the skills to describe and analyze social network for health or social issues. The curriculum covers the fundamentals of social network research and incorporates hands-on experience in applying social network analysis to topics in health and society.
The course is taught in English.
The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.
The course is taught in English.
The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.
Main themes
Topics
Users and professionals from the health and social sectors initiate or maintain various formal and informal social relationships among themselves (social support, friendship, exchange, socialization, activity, etc.). These relationships result from structural and contextual properties (i.e. homophily, reciprocity, transitivity, etc.). In turn, they determine the emergence of groups and they influence the uneven distribution of resources within and between groups. Finally, they facilitate the diffusion of norms, behaviours and beliefs within and between groups.
Social network research has been instrumental in explaining (health) behaviours inequalities, violence and conflict between and within groups, norms and practice dissemination, and trajectories (ie continuity of care in health care network). It may apply to individuals, small groups (such as families or classroom), organisations (company, hospital, school), or local communities.
Users and professionals from the health and social sectors initiate or maintain various formal and informal social relationships among themselves (social support, friendship, exchange, socialization, activity, etc.). These relationships result from structural and contextual properties (i.e. homophily, reciprocity, transitivity, etc.). In turn, they determine the emergence of groups and they influence the uneven distribution of resources within and between groups. Finally, they facilitate the diffusion of norms, behaviours and beliefs within and between groups.
Social network research has been instrumental in explaining (health) behaviours inequalities, violence and conflict between and within groups, norms and practice dissemination, and trajectories (ie continuity of care in health care network). It may apply to individuals, small groups (such as families or classroom), organisations (company, hospital, school), or local communities.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to : | |
| 1 | Understand the essential relational challenges in (medical) sociology |
| 2 | Analyze health or social issues using social network research |
| 3 | Design and collect social network data |
| 4 | Utilize software tools (R) for exploring and analyzing social graphs |
| 5 | Engage in discussions on papers related to social network analysis |
Content
Social network research is not a method but a perspective exploring a topic through the relational lens. SNR addresses four different levels: ego, dyad, group and whole network.
- Introduction to Medical sociology and the relevance of social network analysis
- Key concepts in social network analysis : nodes, ties and context.
- Design of social network analysis and data management
- Visualization
- Ego-level: power and social capital
- Groups, communities and norms
- Topology and the small world : fragmentation and separation
- Dyadic contagion and peer-effects.
Teaching methods
- Lecture
- Practice of the software and of data management.
- Every week, each student briefs the group on his/her essay.
- Weekly Assignments
Evaluation methods
Assessment is based on an essay and on weekly assignments. The oral examination is devoted to the discussing your essay in relation with the course.
Other information
The course is restricted to 15 students.
Online resources
Moodle
Bibliography
- Carrington, P. J. and J. Scott (2011). The SAGE handbook of social network analysis. London, SAGE.
- Centola, D. (2011). "An experimental study of homophily in the adoption of health behavior." Science 334(6060): 1269-1272.
- Christakis, N. A. and J. H. Fowler (2010). Connected : the amazing power of social networks and how they shape our lives. London, HarperPress.
- Crossley Nick, Bellotti E, et al. Social Network analysis for ego-nets. Sage, Thousand Oaks, 2015. Ebook disponible sur https://dial.uclouvain.be/ebook/object/ebook%3A154140
- Dimaggio, P. and F. Garip (2012). "Network effects and social inequality." Annual Review of Sociology 38: 93-118.
- Knoke, D., et al. (2008). Social network analysis. Los Angeles, Sage Publications.
- Oakes, J. M. and J. S. Kaufman (2006). Methods in social epidemiology. San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Bass.
- Pescosolido BA. Of Pride and Prejudice: The role of sociology and social networks in integrating the health sciences. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 2006;47(3):189-208.
- Provan, K. G., et al. (2005). "The Use of Network Analysis to Strengthen Community Partnerships." Public Administration Review 65(5): 603-613.
- Robins, G., et al. (2007). "An introduction to exponential random graph (p *) models for social networks." Social Networks 29(2): 173-191.
- Robins, G. (2015). Doing social network research : network-based research design for social scientists. London, SAGE
- Valente, T. W. (2010). Social networks and health models, methods, and applications. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
- Valente, T. W. (2012). "Network Interventions." Science 337(6090): 49-53.
- Sweet D, Byng R, Webber M, Enki DG, Porter I, Larsen J, et al. Personal well-being networks, social capital and severe mental illness: exploratory study. The British journal of psychiatry 2017.
- Bogatti S, Everett M, Johnson J, Analyzing social networks, Sage, 2013.
Teaching materials
- none
Faculty or entity
