Encyclopedia of Social Networks

by George A. Barnett (Editor)

Overview

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This two-volume encyclopedia provides a thorough introduction to the wide-ranging, fast-developing field of social networking, a much-needed resource at a time when new social networks or "communities" seem to spring up on the internet every day. Social networks, or groupings of individuals tied by one or more specific types of interests or interdependencies ranging from likes and dislikes, or disease transmission to the "old boy" network or overlapping circles of friends, have been in existence for longer than services such as Facebook or You Tube; analysis of these networks emphasizes the relationships within the network . This reference resource offers comprehensive coverage of the theory and research within the social sciences that has sprung from the analysis of such groupings, with accompanying definitions, measures, and research.

Featuring approximately 350 signed entries, along with approximately 40 media clips, organized alphabetically and offering cross-references and suggestions for further readings, this encyclopedia opens with a thematic Reader's Guide in the front that groups related entries by topics. A Chronology offers the reader historical perspective on the study of social networks. This two-volume reference work is a must-have resource for libraries serving researchers interested in the various fields related to social networks.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781412979115
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	09/07/2011
Pages:	1112
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 11.60(h) x 5.10(d)

About the Author

George A. Barnett received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Illinois, in Sociology, and his Ph.D. in Communication from Michigan State University (1976).

Editorial Reviews

Barnett (communication, Univ. of California) focuses on types of social organizational structures and their different ways of functioning in a broad survey of networks past and present. The approximately 350 alphabetically arranged entries by a large slate of academic contributors explore in moderately dense detail widespread networks such as Facebook and the UN; special interest communities such as those created by mothers, gamers, dieters, deviants, and gangs; networking technology; privacy and other cogent issues; traditional networks based on kinship, religion, politics, and economics; and the theory, concepts, and general practice of network analysis. Each article ends with multiple cross-references and generous if scholarly reading lists, supplemented by a select multimedia guide to further sources. Despite some articles that fill in deeper historical background, the emphasis here is on recent examples, particularly those dependent on "the mother of all networks," the Internet, and other "infrastructure of the Information Age." The scattered diagrams and black-and-white photos qualify as little more than afterthoughts, and the decision to profile all 50 states and more than 125 countries in separate articles adds little to the discourse. The index in the second volume is adequate though not comprehensive. BOTTOM LINE From "AARP" to "zines," the set covers a vast array of fields and topics and is current enough to include references to roles played by social media in the 2011 uprisings in Northern Africa. The online version of this title features color illustrations, dozens of media clips, and at least a capacity for regular updates. A significant update to the material in the print version of Subhasish Dasgupta's Encyclopedia of Virtual Communities and Technologies (Idea Group, 2006) for college-level study.—John Peters, Bronx, NY

Library Journal