Network Analysis and Ethnographic Problems: Process Models of a Turkish Nomad Clan

by Douglas R. White, Ulla Johansen

Using network visualization and the study of the dynamics of marriage choices, Network Analysis and Ethnographic Problems expands the theory of social practice to show how changes in the structure of a society's kinship network affect the development of social cohesion over time. Using the genealogical networks of a Turkish nomad clan, authors Douglas White and Ulla Johansen explore how changes in network cohesion are revealed to be indicative of key processes of social change. This approach alters in fundamental ways the anthropological concepts of social structure, organizational dynamics, social cohesion, marriage strategies, as well as the study of community politics within the dynamics of ongoing personal interaction.

Genres: Anthropology

544 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2004

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, you've really got to care about applying SNA and computer-aided graph analysis techniques, to understand social relations. But if, like me, you happen to be building some tools for humanists to discover and explore the family and social ties in ancient civilizations, this is pretty interesting. I'm working with faculty in Near Eastern Studies, analyzing business transactions of Hellenistic Babylonia (as represented in cuneiform tablets from the period). Caveat Emptor.