Since the publication of Herbert Spencer's Principles of Sociology in 1875, the use of social
structure as a defining concept has produced a large body of creative speculations, insights …

The social network perspective emphasizes multiple levels of analysis: differences among
actors are traced to the constraints and opportunities that arise from how they are embedded …

RONALD L. BREIGER 'direct observation does reveal to us that… human beings are
connected by a complex network of social relations. I use the term “social structure” to …

Social network analysis takes as its starting point the premise that social life is created
primarily and most importantly by relations and the patterns formed by these relations. Social …

Network analysis has been used extensively in sociology over the last twenty years. This
special issue of Sociological Methods & Research reviews the substantive contributions that …

From the outset, network research has made use of qualitative data, less structured
approaches to data collection, and interpretive methods in describing and analyzing social …

In a recent book I reviewed the development of social network analysis from its earliest
beginnings until the late 1990s (Freeman, 2004). There, I characterized social network …

Social network analysis (SNA), in essence, is not a formal theory in social science, but rather
an approach for investigating social structures, which is why SNA is often referred to as …

A quantitative approach to social network analysis involves the application of mathematical
and statistical techniques and graphical presentation of results. Nonetheless—as with all …

Structural (or network) analysis has mystified many social scientists. Some have rejected it
as mere methodology, which lacks due regard for substantive issues. Some have fled from …