Open AccessModeling Social Network Topologies in Elementary Schools
Author(s) -
R. Huerta-Quintanilla,
Efrain Canto-Lugo,
Dolores Viga-de Alva
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0055371
Subject(s) - friendship , network topology , kinship , cluster analysis , topology (electrical circuits) , poisson distribution , social network (sociolinguistics) , social network analysis , computer science , sociology , social psychology , psychology , artificial intelligence , mathematics , social science , world wide web , statistics , computer network , social capital , combinatorics , anthropology , social media
Complex networks are used to describe interactions in many real world systems, including economic, biological and social systems. An analysis was done of inter-student friendship, enmity and kinship relationships at three elementary schools by building social networks of these relationships and studying their properties. Friendship network measurements were similar between schools and produced a Poisson topology with a high clustering index. Enmity network measurements were also similar between schools and produced a power law topology. Spatial confinement and the sense of belonging to a social group played vital roles in shaping these networks. Two models were developed which generate complex friendship and enmity networks that reproduce the properties observed at the three studied elementary schools.