Network analysis and social inequality
Charles Tilly’s relational approach under the perspective of Barabási’s power law
Keywords:
Network analysis, Power law, Inequality, Relational SociologyAbstract
The aim of this paper is to discuss the problem of social inequality based on the network analysis. More specifically, this paper aims to answer two questions: (1) Why do some network nodes amass power over time? (2) Where do the social networks begin and end, and what difference does it make to the analysis of inequality? The contribution of Charles Tilly (2005) for the analysis of the relational dimensions of inequality is compatible with the perspective of social networks, as both are inserted within the context of the so-called Relational Sociology (Emirbayer, 1997). The answer to the first question lies in the power law of Barabási (2002), which states that the evolutionary dynamics of complex networks with similar topologies follow a pattern of distribution of network nodes in which “large is rare and small is common”. In turn, Tilly (2005:87-90) demonstrates how the establishment of boundaries in networks allows the accumulation of capabilities and social ties that operate according to this power law, contributing to the social reproduction of inequalities.Downloads
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