We are happy to invite you to the network seminar on 3rd November (5pm CET) by Ezster Bokanyi.
Abstract of the talk "The anatomy of a population-scale social network":
Common
large-scale approaches to inferring social structure make use of
digital traces such as online social networks or mobile communication
data. However, these networks are often agnostic of node and edge
representativity and type. This talk investigates the structure of a
social network sourced from administrative registers for an entire
population based on family, household, work, school, and next-door
neighbor relations, alongside rich demographic node attributes. We
revisit three of the most common concepts in social network analysis:
degree, closure and distance. We find that observed degrees are the
result of a combination of degree distributions in various layers,
disqualifying common explanatory mechanisms such as preferential
attachment. Low node-to-node distances are realized through particular
edge types that shortcut paths in already clustered areas. Measuring
closure across layers shows how we can realistically capture the extent
to which people have closed or open network opportunity structures.
Finally, we highlight how people's network structure varies greatly
along demographic axes such as age, income and level of education. This
shows that understanding of both the type of edge and the part of the
population that is considered is of great importance. Therefore,
leveraging register data to capture the social structure of a complete
population is one of the most fruitful ways forward to obtain actionable
insights and ultimately evidence-based policies.