Comparing Approaches to Identifying and Influencing Social Networks

On May 5, 2011, the Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted a workshop attended by approximately forty experts in various disciplines and subject areas. Each was involved in work that in some way touched upon the understanding or utilization of social networks. By design this group represented a range of theorists and practitioners spanning defense and security, urban development, law enforcement, social movements, disease prevention, grassroots activism, and health care. It included representatives from governmental organizations, academia, and the private sector.

The day was organized around three broad questions:

• Which approaches or models have various communities found most useful in analyzing networks?
   
• Which approaches or models have planners found most useful in developing strategies to affect network behaviors?
   
• Which network features are common across problem sets, and what does this imply for strategies to counter or leverage networks?