Opportunities for teaching qualitative critical thought in introductory network science: revisiting foundational papers as case studies
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Network Science as a discipline incorporates many modes of thought and draws upon many of the social sciences in its insights and motivations. However, because of how an introductory Network Science course is often positioned within institutions, its primary focus is often one of teaching a particular set of quantitative skills and intuitions to students. However, an introductory course on Network Science is a prime opportunity to expand who is included in our field, and to reevaluate how we envision the future of research within our field. In this talk I will discuss the opportunities of introducing qualitative critical thought as a key skill in network science by revisiting foundational papers in our discipline. By focusing on Granovetter’s The Strength of Weak Ties, I will present alternative readings of the foundational paper which highlight key opportunities for incorporating insights from other social sciences into how we analyze networks. I will present a lesson plan for discussing this paper in the classroom focused around critically questioning key assumptions, and interrogating how they are (or are not) reflected in relevant social science literatures. By expanding how we teach introductory Network Science topics and foundational papers in our field, we have the opportunity to include critical modes of thought which, although are vital to impactful and resonant research, are not typically present in introductory courses.
Izabel P Aguiar 