Social Networks and

Communities of Practice

…
What is Social Network?
What is Social Class?
► Social network is the relationship (individual) with others
through social and geographical space linking many
individuals.
► Pattern of associations are between people who are
friends or roughly social equals within community.
► In sociolinguistics study, social network is used as basic
for analyzing linguistic variation.
► Linguistic diffusion =horizontal channel, vertical
channel.
*Horizontal channel-within one age group and social
cohort.
*Vertical channel-channels between generations or
across big social divides.
Social Networks
Examples: Facebook, LinkedIn
A social networking site is a social media site that allows
you to connect with people who have similar interests
and backgrounds. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are
three of the most popular examples of a social network
website.
These platforms allow us to connect with our friends,
family, and even brands. Most social network sites let
users share thoughts, upload photos and videos, and
participate in groups of interest.
 Social Class vs. Social Network

► Social Network-is grouping based on

frequency and quality of members
interaction.
► Social Class-is a function of the
interaction of a whole lot of different
social attributes.
SOCIAL NETWORK
► Grouping people based on the idiosyncratic factors.
► Idiosyncratic-special, specifics.
► Network-How often they are the same?
Different?
Example: Who your friends, who you live
near, who you have dinner with, with
who you have work with ,etc.
SOCIAL CLASS
► Grouping people into social class involving the social
matters/social attributes.
*Example: The height of education ,how prestigious the
job,etc.
Types of Social Classes of People

1.The lower class, also known as the working class, is the socio-economic group with the least
income. They are often categorized as families whose income falls below poverty line. These are the
people who live hand to mouth, or pay check to pay check. They barely earn enough to cover their
expenses and a huge expense often sends them into debt. They often can only afford the bare
necessities, and have practically no savings to speak of.
 People from lower class are often seen working as manual labor, or at minimum wage jobs. They
often have the basic schooling, and lack higher education. Some may not even have completed
secondary education, and in developing countries, it not unheard of them to be completely illiterate.
Lower income groups in these countries may not even be able to afford basic necessities. There are
many programs and plans in place to help people from lower income groups to make ends meet.
2.The middle class is the biggest socio-economic group. Most people fall into this category. These are
the people who work in offices, and work as skilled labor, corporate employees, and professionals
such as doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. They earn enough to cover their expenses, and may even
have some money left over for savings, retirement funds, and to spurge a little on luxuries and
vacations. People from middle class often have secondary and higher education. Many professionals
may even have post graduations.
3.The upper class is usually the smallest group among the three. However, it is bigger than most
people expect, this is mainly because people only consider the uber-rich as upper class,
whereas the truth of the matter is that anyone who has an income over the margin line is
qualified to be called upper class, no matter if they seem to be or not.
People from the upper class tend to have higher education, college is usually guaranteed. They
are also more likely to work white collar corporate jobs, more likely or not in upper management,
think CEOs and Board Members. They tend to earn enough to afford most luxuries in life, not
gold plated Ferraris, by rather the nice things like a couture wardrobe, a nice house in a nice
neighbourhood, private schools, etc. They can afford the good things in life and still have money
left over to invest and for savings. They will also more often than not have inherited money from
their parents, i.e. family money.
 
 Identifying the Social Network in Community
A. Observing the interaction in community (how, why)
B. Let the object define their own social network.
► Core network member: the members centrally involved and
actively participating in a friendship network.
► Friendship network-the term that is applied to the interconnected
relationships among a group of friends who provide social and 
emotional support for each other.
► Peripheral and secondary network members: the members who less
integrated or involved to the friendship network.
Dense and Loose Network

► Dense network: Everyone within the

network know each other.
Slow down or inhibit change.
► Loose network: Not all members know
each other within social network.
► Open to change.
Uniplex tie and Multiplex Ties

► Uniplex tie: a network tie between individuals that expresses one role or basis for
contact and interaction.
► If the network tie between two individuals is based only on one relationship.
*Example: two people work together, having the same swim club for children,
mother-daughter.
► Multiplex: Individuals in a social network can be linked through a single social
relationship.
► If the network tie between two people know each other in several different
roles.
*Example: friend, classmate, working place.
Community of Practice

► Communities of practice were the first knowledge –based social structures and arose when
people realized they could benefit from sharing their knowledge, insights and experiences with
others with similar interests or goals.
► A smaller unit than social network.

The co-membership is defined on three criteria.

a. Mutual engagement-coming together in direct personal contact.
If there is no ties at least they inherit the same ties.
b. A jointly negotiated enterprise-the members of the community
of practice
are working toward the same shared goal or defining/ satisfying
the same specific enterprise.
c. Shared repertoire-member or community practice shared ways of pronouncing the
words, shared jargon, slang, jokes, etc.
Communities of Practice are groups of people
who share a common concern, a set of problems
or interest in a topic who come together (face to
face or in a virtual environment) to fulfill both
individual and group of goals.
-Etienne Wenger,2002
 -END-
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