Networks 1 - Period 4

The idea of a "network society" points to a type of society whose social structure is made up of networks empowered by technologies. It is seen as typical of the information age, and it summarizes major changes in the way people and groups organize, as well as the most important structures of modern society. These changes affect all levels of society; individual, organizational and societal, and many authors characterize the rise of the network society as revolutionary. Strong opinions exist on the good or bad outcomes of these changes for society, and on the desirability of interventions to mitigate such outcomes. In this course we explore the meaning of the network society in domains such as personal life, organizations and politics. We discuss theories explaining these changes and research that puts these theories to the test. The material draws on a wide range of social scientific disciplines, such as sociology, organization sciences and political science.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) awards credits based on the ECTS system. Contact hours listed under a course description may vary due to the combination of lecture-based and independent work required for each course therefore, CEA?s recommended credits are based on the ECTS credits assigned by VU Amsterdam. 1 ECTS equals 28 contact hours assigned by VU Amsterdam.