This book provides an introduction to the theories, methods, and applications that constitute the social network perspective. Unlike more general texts, this title is designed for those current and aspiring educational researchers learning how to study, conceptualize, and analyze social networks. The author's main intent is to encourage you to consider the social network perspective in light of your emerging research interests and evaluate how well this perspective illuminates the social complexities surrounding educational phenomena. Whether your interests lie in examining a peer's influence on students' achievement, the relationship between social support and teacher retention, or how the pattern of relations among parents contributes to schools' norms, the tools introduced in this book will provide you with a slightly different take on these and other phenomena. Unlike other approaches, this perspective accounts for the importance of relationships within formal structures, and the informal patterns of interaction that emerge, sustain, or recede. Relying on diverse examples drawn from the educational research literature, this book makes explicit how the theories and methods associated with social network analysis can be used to better describe and explain the social complexities surrounding varied educational phenomena.
Brian V. Carolan is Associate Professor of Quantitative Research Methods at Montclair State University. Prior to joining Montclair State University in 2010, he was Associate Professor of Social Foundations of Education in the Department of Education, College of Staten Island, CUNY. He received his B.A. in sociology from Rutgers University, M.Phil in sociology from Columbia University, and his Ph.D. in sociology and education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Brian has published widely in a variety of areas related to education, covering issues such as high school size, grade span configuration, and the social organization of classrooms. This diversity of topical interests reflects his desire to employ methodological strategies from different disciplines to examine phenomena that are of interest to educational stakeholders. Consequently, his work has appeared in diverse outlets, including Social Networks, Educational Researcher, Teachers College Record, Journal of Research on Adolescence, and others. He currently teaches graduate-level research methods courses to students in the educational and health services fields.
Part I. Theory and Concepts Chapter 1. The Social Network Perspective and Educational Research Chapter 2. Historical, Theoretical, and Analytical Foundations Chapter 3. Basic Concepts Part II. Methods and Measures Chapter 4. Collecting and Managing Network Data Chapter 5. Structural Measures for Complete Networks Chapter 6. Groups and Positions in Complete Networks Chapter 7. Measures for Egocentric Networks Part III. Applications and Examples Chapter 8. An Introduction to Statistical Inference with Network Data Chapter 9. Network Data and Statistical Models Chapter 10. Social Capital Chapter 11. Diffusion Chapter 12. Looking Back, Looking Ahead
"I have no doubt that this text is a groundbreaking addition to the knowledge of this particular field." -- Donald W. Good "I value the way the author has conceptualized a very broad field and has organized it into a coherent, cohesive text. I think the weaving in of specific examples is key to the work's success and will make the book stand apart." -- Alan J. Daly "The writing style makes network theory and methods accessible to researchers who have limited experience in conducting network analysis." -- August E. Grant
