Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of photos
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Section I Social entrepreneurship
- Section 2 The dynamics of social change
- Section 3 Social capital built by social entrepreneurs
- 7 Social Capital
- 8 Social Networks: Bedrock of Social Capital
- 9 Personality Traits That Facilitate the Building of Social Capital
- Section 4 A new kind of leadership
- Epilogue The Past and the Future
- Conclusion
- Appendix 1 Becoming a Social Entrepreneur
- Appendix 2 The Process of Assessing Candidates for a Fellowship
- Appendix 3 Excerpts from Interviews
- References
- Index
8 - Social Networks: Bedrock of Social Capital
from Section 3 - Social capital built by social entrepreneurs
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of photos
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Section I Social entrepreneurship
- Section 2 The dynamics of social change
- Section 3 Social capital built by social entrepreneurs
- 7 Social Capital
- 8 Social Networks: Bedrock of Social Capital
- 9 Personality Traits That Facilitate the Building of Social Capital
- Section 4 A new kind of leadership
- Epilogue The Past and the Future
- Conclusion
- Appendix 1 Becoming a Social Entrepreneur
- Appendix 2 The Process of Assessing Candidates for a Fellowship
- Appendix 3 Excerpts from Interviews
- References
- Index
Summary
As we said in the previous chapter, social networks can become the bedrock of social capital; in other words, in order to connect, communicate, cooperate, and build trust, one has to be involved in multiple relationships. This grid, commonly known as a network, is also sometimes referred to as “a web without a spider” (Barabási, 2003). Because social networks play a crucial role in the buildup of social capital (Putnam, 1996; Lin, 2001; Putnam & Gross, 2002; Coleman, 2003; Field, 2008; Praszkier et al., 2009), it is important to explore this subject further.
Social networks: what are they?
Social networks are social structures made of individuals or organizations (called nodes) that are connected by way of specific interrelations (Wasserman & Faust, 1994; Degenne & Forsé, 1999). Those nodes exchange information, either via personal interaction or through communication technologies.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Social EntrepreneurshipTheory and Practice, pp. 90 - 106Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011