Cronin, Bruce ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3776-8924 (2025) Social network analysis for heterodox inquiry. In: Cronin, Bruce ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3776-8924, (ed.) Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Heterodox Economics, Second Edition. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK. (In Press)

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Abstract

This chapter introduces social network analysis (SNA) as a methodological toolkit for heterodox economics, emphasizing its ability to empirically examine the social embeddedness of economic activity. SNA provides techniques for visualizing and quantifying relationships among individuals, organizations, and institutions, enabling analysis at micro, meso, and macro levels. The chapter outlines data collection strategies, including surveys, archival sources, and digital traces, and addresses ethical and boundary specification issues. Key analytical concepts such as centrality, closure, brokerage, and subgroup detection are discussed, alongside network-level metrics like density and cohesion. Advanced statistical approaches, including permutation-based regression, exponential random graph models, and stochastic actor-oriented models, are introduced for hypothesis testing. By revealing structural patterns and power relations, SNA offers heterodox economists tools to explore dynamics of trust, influence, and resource flows, complementing qualitative and historical approaches.

Item Type:	Book Section
Additional Information:	New chapter (2nd ed., 1st edition 2016). - MP
Uncontrolled Keywords:	social network analysis, heterodox economics, network metrics, centrality, closure and brokerage, relational data
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory L Education > L Education (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Greenwich Business School Greenwich Business School > Networks and Urban Systems Centre (NUSC) Greenwich Business School > School of Business, Operations and Strategy
Last Modified:	11 Nov 2025 15:32
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/51505

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