Monge.etal:2003

De Estigmergia

Theories of Communication Networks

1 Networks and Flows in Organizational Communication

• (12-16) Notion of emergence: 5 different epistemic views from Kontopoulos:1993, where emergence implies the idea of incorporation (reductionism, construction, heterarchy, hierarchy and holism). Heterarchy could be a good one for Wikipedia? There is a good diagram.

• (18-20) 3 historical perspectives for communication networks from structural analysis: positional tradition (Burt), relational tradition (Bateson) and cultural tradition (Giddens). The three of them fail to specify theoretical mechanisms like self-interest, contagion, exchange, etc (one of the aims of the book).

• (20-21) Overview of the teoretical framework: multitheoretical, multilevel model (MTML) identifies network properties and shows how they correspond to theoretical mechanisms. Models built on MTML lead to different emergent structures (some complementary, some overlapping). Value of computer models, showing agents follow of rules and consequent evolution of complex structures.

• (21-23) Overview of the family of theories: theories of self-interest and of collective action. This last one (also of mutual interest) exemplified by public goods theory, where network relations are often essential.