CCK08 – More Networks and Groups or Why Stephen May be Right
When I perused the readings yesterday, I liked George’s continuum rather than Stephen’s dichotomy. But now that I think more about it…
I can, with some clarity define what groups I’m in. (Male, English speaker, glasses wearer, etc.) Defining the edge of my network is more difficult.Even if you define strictly (my network is those with whom I have a bilateral following relationship on Twitter), your network is defined in terms of your relationships rather than a common shared state (those whom you follow may or may not be following one another)
I do think groups can be open. Take for example an open enrollment SL group. You choose to be a part of it, but then are clearly a member of that group. Something like Deadheads is trickier. Since members of the group self select and identify (nobody defines deadhead until social scientists start researching them), finding the boundary of the group is difficult. Nevertheless, my instinct wants to call Deadheads a group.
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[...] are a network and not a group. The author of An Educational Technology Blog disagrees (”CCK08 – More Networks and Groups or Why Stephen May be Right“), saying: “Something like Deadheads is trickier. Since members of the group self [...]
Hmmm. don’t male, english, etc. define which categories (statisitical groupings) you are in rather than a group? Presumably, you don’t choose to be a mail. I hope this isn’t unhelpful – I think weare all going around in circles with this group thing.
Hahaha – mail/male funny typo;-)
Sorry to arrive late to this party. I am not sure the categories are not also groups. Some groups we choose to be in, some others choose to put us in. But there will be varying degrees of ‘groupness,’ depending on circumstances, and hence varying degrees of salience for our membership in those groups. Being male matters at some times more than at others, and in different ways. Ditto any group we can think of. We may not be conscious of being in a group until the point at which it matters.