[Colloq] Talk- Monday, Nov. 23 - Michael Macy, Cornell University

[Rachel Kalweit]

The Colleges of Computer and Information Science and Political Science presents a Colloquium by:

Speaker: Michael Macy - Cornell University

Title: The Length of Weak Ties

Date: Monday, November 23, 2009  
Time: 12-1:30pm
Location: 440 Huntington Ave. ~ 366 West Village H

Abstract:
Granovetter’s theory of “the strength of weak ties” is one of the most-cited social theories in network science and an important precursor for Watts’ and Strogatz’ discovery of small world networks. The “strength” is that information about economic opportunities is more likely to come from socially distant acquaintances than close friends. Until recently, however, the structure and strength of social ties has been almost impossible to measure at the societal level. We test predictions of this theory by combining the most complete record of a national communication network studied to date with data on the socio-economic well-being of communities and the purchasing behavior of individuals. We show for the first time that the diversity of individuals’ ties has a strong positive correlation with the social and economic rank of the community (R2=.78). Moreover, contrary to theoretical predictions, clustered relations were no stronger than ties that bridge between clusters and yet were more effective as conduits of peer influence. We speculate that ties within clusters are mainly friendship-oriented, while those between clusters are mainly task-oriented.

Host: David Lazer