Section 1. Introduction -- Section 2. Observation 1 : social networks tend toward homogeneity, not diversity -- Section 3. Observation 2 : not all relationships are the same -- Section 4. Observation 3 : some people are more sought out than others -- Section 5. Summary and conclusions
Summary
"We offer a critical review of the concepts and principles of social capital and social networks as applied to entrepreneurship [...] Then, we show that the potential of social networks often cannot be realized because of various socio-cultural constraints. Taking account of these constraints, we offer three empirical generalizations about social networks and show how the concepts of homophily, social boundaries, and bounded rationality provide a framework for understanding the observations. As we discuss each generalization, we discuss some well-established theoretical contributions and empirical findings from the social capital and social networks literatures. Throughout the text we explain various research designs for studying social networks and issues raised in trying to use them."--Abstract from pub. website.
