Coordinator: Douglas Heckathorn

Bringing together economists and sociologists to discuss the topic of networks in an interdisciplinary context, this working group addresses the study of economic and social behavior in markets and organizations. In particular, the group focuses on game theory as a means to analyze social dilemmas, or situations in which individual actions in combination have adverse collective consequences. When viewed game theoretically, social networks -- such as markets, organizations, social norms, legal systems, and electoral systems -- serve as mechanisms for resolving social dilemmas.

SAMPLE OF EVENTS

October 17, 2002
Douglas Heckathorn (Professor, Department of Sociology, Cornell) and Steven Bernard (Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Sociology, Cornell), "The Network Structure of Younger Injection Users: Adapting Respondent-Driven Sampling to Study Changes in Network Structure over the Life Course"

October 31, 2002
Victor Nee (Goldwin Smith Professor, Department of Sociology, Cornell), "Networks, Immigrant Labor Markets and Internal Segmentation in the Workplace"

November 14, 2002
Stephen Morgan (Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Cornell), "Patronage Networks in Kano, Nigeria"

February 6, 2003
Eunyun Park (Ph.D. Sociology, Cornell), "'Net-Profit' for the Nonprofits: Mobilizing for Collective Action through the Internet"