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Sociology vocabulary · Social Structure and Institutions

Social network

Meaning in sociology, with examples

nounCommon term

In sociology, social network means: A set of relationships linking people, groups or organisations, through which information, support and resources can flow.

In Turkish: sosyal ağ, toplumsal ağ, ilişki ağı

How it is used

In sociology the term existed long before social media. Social network analysis maps ties between actors and measures their strength and density. Granovetter's 'strength of weak ties' showed that acquaintances are often more useful than close friends when looking for a job.

Example sentences

  1. Migrants often rely on their social network to find their first job.

  2. We used social network analysis to map friendships in two school classes.

Common collocations

  • social network analysis
  • weak ties
  • personal network
  • dense network
  • social capitalThe resources people can access through their social networks and relationships, such as information, support, trust and useful contacts.
  • kinshipThe network of relationships between people based on descent, marriage or adoption, together with the rules and obligations that come with them.
  • communityA group of people who share a place, an identity or common interests and feel a sense of belonging and connection to one another.
  • migrationThe movement of people from one place to another to live, either within a country or across national borders, for reasons such as work, family, education or safety.

More terms: Social Structure and Institutions

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