Editing Communication and Social Networks (Spring 2024)/granovetter summary (section)

==Study Questions and Answers==

{| class="wikitable"
! Study Question
! Answer
|-
| What is the main hypothesis of the paper?
| The main hypothesis is that the stronger the tie between two individuals, the greater the overlap in their friendship circles and contacts.
|-
| How does Granovetter define the strength of an interpersonal tie?
| Granovetter defines tie strength as a combination of time invested, emotional intensity, intimacy, and reciprocity between two individuals.
|- 
| What is the role of weak ties in diffusion processes?
| Weak ties act as bridges between densely knit social groups, allowing information and ideas to diffuse more rapidly. Weak ties provide connections across social distance.
|-
| How do weak ties connect to social mobility and job opportunities?
| Many individuals find out about job opportunities through weak acquaintances rather than close friends. Weak ties provide access to nonredundant information and resources. 
|-
| What is the relationship between weak ties and community organization? 
| Communities rich in weak ties that bridge cliques are better able to organize collectively. Fragmented communities solely composed of isolated groups struggle to mobilize.
|-
| How does Granovetter's model differ from the Davis-Holland-Leinhardt model?
| Granovetter argues transitivity depends on tie strength, while DHL propose transitivity as a general feature of social structures. Granovetter focuses more on weak ties.  
|-
| What is the major implication of the paper?
| The major implication is demonstrating the importance of weak social ties in linking micro and macro levels of sociological theory and analysis.
|}