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Syllabus Social Networks Fall 2019

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Syllabus Social Networks Fall 2019 Version: 02/SEP/2019 SOCI3102: Social networks and social capital Fall 2019 Monday 4:30-6:15 PM Instructor: Jinho Kim (PhD) Email: [email protected] TA: Lee Lai Han Email: [email protected] Office hour: Upon appointment Office: 411A 1. Course Description Social networks affect many aspects of our lives, and their effect persists over the life course. The science of social networks focuses on measuring, modeling, and understanding the different ways that people are connected to one another. In this course, we will use a broad toolkit of theories and methods drawn from the social, natural, and mathematical sciences to learn what a social network is, to understand how to work with social network data, and to illustrate some of the ways that social networks can be useful in theory and in practice. We will see that network ideas are powerful enough to be used everywhere from Center for Health Protection and Department of Health, where network models help epidemiologists prevent the spread of diseases, to private sectors (e.g., Apple, Amazon, etc.), where data scientists use network ideas to build products that enable people all across the globe to connect with one another. Throughout the course, you will: • identify key network concepts and principles • examine data collection, measurement, and computer analysis techniques • acquire a sufficient grasp of the contemporary network literatures • investigate applications in sociology, public health, education, political science, public administration, organization studies, and related disciplines. 2. Learning Objectives By the end of the course, you should be able to: • define social networks and identify the ways that affect health, attitudes and behaviors, and quality of life • describe several important studies and controversies in the social network literature • critically examine the theory, methodology, and findings of research that incorporates social network analysis • evaluate the implications of the social network research 3. Course Materials (1) Required textbook • Christakis and Fowler (2009). Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives. New York: Little, Brown and Company. Version: 02/SEP/2019 (2) Recommended reading • (*) Easley and Kleinberg (2010). Networks, crowds, and markets: Reasoning about a highly connected world. New York: Cambridge University Press. https://www.cs.cornell.edu/home/kleinber/networks-book/ • (^) Valente (2010). Social Networks and Health: Models, Methods, and Applications. New York: Oxford University Press. • (^) Borgatti et al. (2013). Analyzing Social Networks. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. • (^) Knoke and Yang (2008). Social Network Analysis: Second Edition. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. • (*) Kadushin (2012). Understanding Social Networks: Theories, Concepts and Findings. New York: Oxford University Press. • (+) Wasserman and Faust (1994). Social Network Analysis: Methods and Applications. New York: Cambridge University Press. Note: + Difficult; * Intermediate; ^ Easy 4. Course Requirements (1) Overview of requirements 30% Tutorial session and research project 30% Response memo (10% X 3) 40% Final exam (2) Details about requirements Tutorial session and research project (30%) • During these tutorials, you are expected to develop and complete a research project on a topic related to social networks, peer effects, and social capital. Several potential topics will be provided for you to select, but you can of course choose to work on a different topic beyond these. • This project is group-based and 2-3 students will form a group. It is also OK to work on your own. The evaluation criteria will be the same no matter it is a group work or an individual work. • The grading is based on your participation in the tutorial (5%), presentation (10%), and final paper (15%). • Final paper should be structured: (1) Abstract (250 words max); (2) Motivation and Significance; (3) Objectives; (4) Findings; (5) Conclusion and Discussion; (6) References • There will be three tutorial sessions. The sessions will be led by TA. o Tutorial 1: Orientation o Tutorial 2: Middle-stage progress report o Tutorial 3: Presentation • You will be expected to submit your final research paper by November 25, 2019. The paper should not exceed 10 pages excluding tables and figures. Response memo (30%) • For three of the class meetings, please write a 2 page short response memo. You can pick which weeks you write the memos. You can also choose which paper you want to write a memo about, from the list of papers that are indicated with the sign of (#) in “(2) Detailed schedule of classes” below. • The format of the memos is open, but at a minimum I would like you to be sure to: Version: 02/SEP/2019 o a. summarize the reading (focus more on substantive than methodological components of the paper) o b. write a short note of your thoughts and comments (what you like and you don’t like) Final exam (40%) • There will be one in-class closed book examination. The final exam will be held on November 25, 2019 during normal class time in our normal classroom. • The final exam will test the material covered during the entire semester. It will contain both multiple choice and short-essay questions. (3) Grade Descriptors A Outstanding performance on all learning outcomes. A- Generally outstanding performance on all (or almost all) learning outcomes. B Substantial performance on all learning outcomes, OR high performance on some learning outcomes which compensates for less satisfactory performance on others, resulting in overall substantial performance. C Satisfactory performance on the majority of learning outcomes, possibly with a few weaknesses. D Barely satisfactory performance on a number of learning outcomes. F Unsatisfactory performance on a number of learning outcomes, OR failure to meet specified assessment requirements. 5. Submission of Work • For all assignments students are required to submit both a hard copy and VeriGuide verification receipt. Points will be subtracted for late submission. • I expect you to follow the standard writing procedures on all of your assignments: o a. use normal margins (1 inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides) on the sides o b. use 12-point Times New Roman font and double space your lines • All questions about assignments and grading should first be directed toward your TA. 6. Academic Integrity As with all courses at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, you are expected to follow the University’s rules and regulations pertaining to academic honesty and integrity. Please visit here for more information. If you have questions about the rules for any of the assignments or exams, please ask me or your TA. Version: 02/SEP/2019 7. Schedule of Classes (1) Summary of schedule Week Date Chapter Readings 1 9/2 Course overview and introduction 2 9/9 Fundamentals and background Ch. 1 3 9/16 Network rules in real life Ch. 1 4 9/23 Emotion, love, and sex Ch. 2, 3 5 9/30 Contagion and context (I) Ch. 2, 3 6 10/7 (Holiday) No lecture 7 10/14 Contagion and context (II) Ch. 2, 3 8 10/21 Spread of disease and health behaviors (I) Ch. 4 9 10/28 Spread of disease and health behaviors (II) Ch. 4 10 11/4 Economic networks Ch. 5 11 11/11 Genes, networks, and society Ch. 7 12 11/18 Social network interventions Ch. 9 13 11/25 Final exam Note: The due date for three response memo assignments follow an individual’s own schedule. 4 Version: 02/SEP/2019 (2) Detailed schedule of classes Week 1 (Sep 2) Course overview and introduction Recommended reading • Easley and Kleinberg (2010), Chapter 1. Overview: Crowds, and Markets: Reasoning about a Highly Connected World. New York: Cambridge University Press. Week 2 (Sep 9) Fundamentals and background Required reading • Connected, Chapter 1 Recommended reading • Easley and Kleinberg (2010), Chapter 2. Graphs: Crowds, and Markets: Reasoning about a Highly Connected World. New York: Cambridge University Press. Week 3 (Sep 16) Network rules in real life Required reading • Connected, Chapter 1 • (#) Travers and Milgram (1969). An Experimental Study of the Small World Problem. Sociometry. Recommended reading • Milgram et al. (1969). Note on the drawing power of crowds of different size. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. • (#) Dodds et al. (2003), An Experimental Study of Search in Global Social Networks. Science. • (#) McPherson et al. (2006). Social Isolation in America: Changes in Core Discussion Networks over Two Decades. American Sociological Review. • Milgram (1967). The small world problem. Psychology Today. • Strogatz, S. (2012). Friends you can count on. New York Times. • Small (2013). Weak ties and the core discussion network: Why people discuss important matters with unimportant alters. Social Networks. • Fischer (2009). The 2004 GSS Finding of Shrunken Social Networks: An Artifact? American Sociological Review. Week 4 (Sep 23) Emotion, love, and sex Required reading • Connected, Chapters 2 and 3 • (#) Flower and Christakis (2008), Dynamic Spread of Happiness in a Large Social Network, BMJ. • (#) Jin et al. (2010). Preliminary Evidence Regarding the Hypothesis That the Sex Ratio at Sexual Maturity May Affect Longevity in Men. Demography. Recommended reading • Larson and Richards (1994), Family Emotions: Do Young Adolescents and Their Parents Experience the Same States?, Journal of Research on Adolescence. 5 Version: 02/SEP/2019 • (#) Cacioppo et al. (2009). Alone in the crowd: The structure and spread of loneliness in a large social network. Journal of Personality
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