Understanding Community: A review of networks, ties and contacts

摘要: This is an overview of different approaches to the study social networks, relationships and contacts situated in context debates on the interpretation changing nature ‘community’. Three are considered; a traditional ‘community as locality’ approach that sees as bound particular geographic location; ‘social network analysis’ that considers ‘networked’ individuals’ contacts; idea that individuals are connected through ‘small worlds’ attempt understand the linked networks (see Larsen et al., 2005). Implicit these competing link between ‘community’ and social (though two far from mutually exclusive). is particularly evident explanations how social, spatial technological change has altered ways which relations ordered. Simplified, this forms somewhat evolutionary narrative shifts organisation of social ‘face-to-face’, ‘place-to-place’, ‘person-centred’ contacts relationships (Wellman, 2001). It later, encapsulated ideas such ‘networked sociality’, some suggest had most impact our understandings community (Wittel, evident in discussions rise instantaneous communication technology such as internet, e.mail or mobile phones have facilitated ‘death distance’ and enabled individuals overcome problem time when contacting others (Cairncross, As review goes discuss, this does not mean that need for embodied travel face-to-face contact now redundant. If anything, argue increased frequency distance, and produced more dispersed flexible ties continue be maintained ever complex processes physical co-presence (Urry, 2002; 2003). While present almost utopian claims about networked individualism and how new technologies can empower to ‘choose’ create better networks, therefore lives, review warns dangers overlooking what, many, exclusion the ability engage such socially enabling networking. Furthermore, alleged ‘death distance’ freedom fixity individualism has eradicated relevance temporal contexts social networks.