How Should We Study Relational Structure? Critically Comparing the Epistemological Positions of Social Network Analysis and Field Theory

Abstract

I argue that the main difference between two schools of relational sociology – field theory and social network analysis – lies in the difference between their respective epistemological stances rather than between their ontological assumptions. While social network analysts have developed sophisticated quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, they epistemologically rely on their commonsensical understanding of relational structure. In contrast, field theorists are expected to study relational structure by making an epistemological break from their commonsensical understanding of relational structure. Social network analysts’ epistemological position reveals only social ties as the form of relational structure. Field theory’s epistemological position reveals multiple forms of relational structure, including but not limited to those formed by social ties. The main lesson to be learned is that relational sociologists must develop their notion of relational structure by investigating the history of contests among field actors over the meaning of being a member of their field.