Symbolic interactionism is generally known as a theory typically linked with a qualitative methodology. Recent developments in quantitative social network analysis, however, can analyze processes theorized within this theoretical tradition. Thick description can be complemented with statistical analyses of network structure and dynamics, expanding the scope and detail of results. This paper argues that social network analysis can bridge the divide between qualitative and quantitative analysis. Results from a long-term project on literary criticism substantiate the argument and illustrate a major development in social network analysis.
BreigerR. L. (2000) ‘A tool kit for practice theory’Poetics, 27(2–3) 91–115.
6.
CarringtonP. J.HeilG. H.BerkowitzS. D. (1980) ‘A Goodness-of-fit Index for Blockmodels’, Social Networks, 2, 219–234.
7.
CartwrightD.HararyF. (1956) ‘Structural balance: A generalisation of Heider's Theory’, Psychological Review, 63, 277–293.
8.
CollinsR. (1988) Theoretical Sociology, San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers.
9.
DavisJ. A.LeinhardtS. (1968) The structure of positive interpersonal relations in small groups, Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association. Boston, Massachusetts.
10.
de NooyW. (1991) ‘Social networks and classification in literature’, Poetics, 20(6) 507–537.
11.
de NooyW. (1999) ‘A literary playground. Literary criticism and balance theory’, Poetics, 26(5/6) 385–404
12.
de NooyW. (2008) ‘Signs over time: Statistical and visual analysis of a longitudinal signed network’, Journal of Social Structure, 9(1)
13.
de NooyW.MrvarA.BatageljV. (2005) Exploratory Social Network Analysis with Pajek, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
14.
DekkerD.KrackhardtD.SnijdersT. A. B. (2007) ‘Sensitivity of MRQAP tests to collinearity and autocorrelation conditions’, Psychometrika, 72,(4) 563–581
15.
DurkheimE.MaussM. (1903) ‘De quelques formes primitives de la classification: Contribution à l'étude des représentations collectives’, L'Année Sociologique, 6. 1–72.
16.
HeiderF. (1946) ‘Attitudes and cognitive organization’, Journal of Psychology, 21, 107–112
17.
HeiderF. (1958) The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations, New York: John Wiley and Sons.
18.
Herman-KinneyN. J.VerschaeveJ. M. (2003) ‘Methods of Symbolic Interactionism’, in ReynoldsL. T.Herman-KinneyN. J. (ed.), Handbook of Symbolic Interactionism, Walnut Creek: Altamira Press.
19.
HubertL. J.BakerF. B. (1978) ‘Evaluating the conformity of sociometric measurements’, Psychometrika, 43, 31–41.
20.
JanssenS. (1994) In het licht van de kritiek. Variaties en patronen in de aandacht van de literatuurkritiek voor auteurs en hun werken. Hilversum: Uitgeverij Verloren.
21.
JohnsenE. C. (1985) ‘Network macrostructure models for the Davis-Leinhardt set of empirical sociomatrices’, Social Networks, 7, 203–224.
22.
KrackhardtD. (1992) A Caveat on the Use of the Quadratic Assignment Procedure', Journal of Quantitative Anthropology, 3(4) 279–296.
23.
MohrJ. W. (1994) ‘Soldiers, mothers, tramps and others: Discourse roles in the 1907 New York City Charity Directory’, Poetics, 22(4) 327–357.
24.
MohrJ. W. (1998) ‘Measuring Meaning Structures’, Annual Review of Sociology, 24, 345–370.
25.
MorenoJ. L. (1953 (1934)) Who shall survive?: Foundations of sociometry, group psychotherapy and sociodrama. Beacon, N.Y.: Beacon House.
26.
PassyF.GiugniM. (2000) ‘Life-Spheres, Networks, and Sustained Participation in Social Movements: A Phenomenological Approach to Political Commitment’, Sociological Forum, 15(1) 117–144.
27.
PearsonM.SteglichC.SnijdersT. (2006) ‘Homophily and assimilation among sport-active adolescent substance users’, Connections, 27(1) 47–63.
28.
SnijdersT.van DuijnM. (1997) ‘Simulation for Statistical Inference in Dynamic Network Models’, in ConteR.HegselmannR.TernaP. (ed.), Simulating Social Phenomena, Berlin: Springer.
29.
StrykerS. (2008) ‘From Mead to a Structural Symbolic Interactionism and Beyond’, Annual Review of Sociology, 34, 15–31.
30.
WassermanS.FaustK. (1994) Social Network Analysis: Methods and Applications, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
31.
WassermanS.PattisonP. (1996) ‘Logit models and logistic regressions for social networks. 1. An introduction to Markov graphs and p*’, Psychometrika, 61(3) 401–425.
32.
WhiteH. C. (1965) ‘Notes on the Constituents of Social Structure’, Social Relations, 10.
33.
WhiteH. C. (1992) Identity and control; A structural theory of social action, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.