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Siegwart LindenbergICS / Department of Sociology

University of Groningen

The Netherlands

Micro-foundations ofMicro-foundations ofSocial NetworksSocial Networks

Part I Making behavioral theories more complex

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Model buildingModel building

• Methodological individualism: actor orientation

• Method of decreasing abstraction

• Principle of sufficient complexity

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InterdependenciesInterdependencies

• Structural (theories on generator properties of relations)

• Cognitive (theories on framing and categorization)

• Functional (theories on goals and goal achievement)

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Theory of goals and goal achievementTheory of goals and goal achievement

Own production is central

Fig. 1: Substantive goals

Physical well-being

Socialwell-being

Stimulation Comfort Status AffectionBehavioral confirmation

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Search, substitution, investment

Multi-functionality

Reduction of incompatibility

Act appropiately

Improve one’s feelings

Improve quality of one’s production function

To improve one’s position

Fig.2: Operational goals

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Theory of framingTheory of framing

Framing: cognitive steering by goals through attention

Schematic depiction of foreground (blank) and background (gray) goals in framing, with (from left to right) decreasing salience that leads to a frame switch

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Veil

Operational goal“To improve one’s condition”

Operational subgoal“To improve one’s feeling”

(Hedonic frame)

Operational subgoal“To improve one’s scarce resources” (Gain frame)

Subgoal“To act appropriately” (Normative frame)

Goals and frames combined: Master framesGoals and frames combined: Master frames

The three master frames in their relation to the main operational goal:

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Theory of structure generationTheory of structure generation

• By product of resources and goal realization

• Externalities and control

• Joint production (with transitivity and similarity)

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Networks and groupsNetworks and groups

• (Joint) production of well-being:

• Dyadic

• In groups

• Dyads in groups

• Structure of intergroup relations: networks of groups and groups of networks