Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T08:39:14.469Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

2 - Attributes and Relations

from Part I - Fundamentals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

Wouter de Nooy
Affiliation:
Universiteit van Amsterdam
Andrej Mrvar
Affiliation:
University of Ljubljana
Vladimir Batagelj
Affiliation:
University of Ljubljana
Get access

Summary

Introduction

In Chapter 1, we argued that social network analysis focuses on social relations. A network is a set of vertices and lines. Both vertices and lines have characteristics that we may want to include in our analysis (e.g., the gender of people and the strength of their ties). As noted in Chapter 1, properties of relations are represented by line values in the network (e.g., first and second choices among girls in the dormitory). Now, we add characteristics of the vertices to the analysis. How can we use information on the actors to make sense of the social network?

In this chapter, we present techniques that combine relational network data and nonrelational attributes, such as psychological, social, economical, and geographical characteristics of the vertices in the network. The attributes enhance our interpretation of network structure, and they enable us to study subsections of the network. In addition, we briefly discuss how to use the network position of vertices in statistical analysis; social network analysis and statistics are two complementary sets of techniques. After having studied this chapter, you will understand the basic data used in network analysis, and you will be able to combine relational and nonrelational data.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×