Object oriented modeling of social networks

Explains principles of object-oriented modeling in the scope of modeling dynamic social networks in organizational research. Following a brief introduction to the field of social networks & an overview of existing network models & methods, introduced is an elementary problem field in the social sciences in general, & in studies of organizational change & design in particular, ie, the micro-macro link. It is argued that the most appropriate way to handle this problem is the principle of methodological individualism. For social network analysis to contribute to this theoretical perspective, it should include an individual choice mechanism & become more dynamically oriented; object-oriented modeling is advocated as a tool to meet these requirements. It is shown that characteristics of social systems that are emphasized in the methodological individualistic approach have their direct equivalences in object-oriented models. The link between the microlevel, where actors act, & the macrolevel, where phenomena occur as a consequence & cause of these actions, can be modeled in a straightforward way. 6 Figures, 151 References. Adapted from the source document.