Six Degrees of Separation

Submitted by: Jordi Comas

Suggested text:

Watts, D. 2004. Six Degrees: The science of a connected age. Berkeley.

Gladwell, M. 2002. The Tipping Point. Back Bay Books.

Scott, J. 2000. Social network Analysis: A Handbook. Sage

Section: Week 1

Readings

Of Bonds and Bridges

6 Degrees Preface and Ch. 1

Levy & Stone, The New Wisdom of the Web

NPR interview on State of Blogosphere with David Sifry

State of the Blogosphere reports

Section: Week 2

Readings

Tipping Point Intro & Ch. 1: 3 Rules of Epidemics

6 Degrees Ch. 2: Origins of a New Science, Ch. 3 & 4: Beyond the Small World

Laszlo-Barabasi, Linked, Ch. 2: The Random Universe

Section: Week 3

Readings

6 Degrees Ch. 5: Search in Networks

Read, Think Before You Share

Tipping Point, Ch. 2: Law of the few; & Ch. 3: The stickiness factor

Section: Week 4

Readings

Weinberg, Small Pieces, Loosely Joined; "Togetherness"

Cumlish, The Power of Many, select chapter

Tipping Point, Ch. 4: The Power of Context

Section: Week 5

Readings

Tipping Point, Ch. 5: The Power of Context II

Kilduff & Tsai, Social Networks and Organizations, Ch. 2: Understanding Social Network Analysis; & Ch. 4: Points, Lines and Density

Section: Week 6

Readings

Social Networks and Organizations, Ch. 3: Is there Social Network Theory? & Ch. 5: Centrality and Centralization

Burt, Brokerage and Clusure, Ch.1: Social Capital of Structural Holes

Tilly, Why?, Ch. 1: Why give reasons

Section: Week 8

Readings

"The Genius of Audacity" and "The Networking Jerk" from Never Eat Alone

Mentor Networks and Career Succes

"Who Are You People" Audio Clip from NPR

"Community and Public Life" Interview with Putnam, NPR

Section: Week 9

Readings

Six Degrees, Ch. 6: Epidemics and Failures, Ch. 7: Madness of Crowds, & Ch. 8: Thresholds, Cascades and Probability

Tipping Point, Ch. 6: Rumors and Sneakers

Putnam, Social Capital and Bowling Alone

Meyer, The Lonely State of America

Wellman et al., The Strength of Internet Ties

Section: Week 10

Readings

McNamee & Miller, The Meritocracy Myth

Granovetter, Strength of Weak Ties

Six Degrees, Ch. 9: Innovation, Adaptation and Recovery

Cross, Lietdka, & Weiss, Practical Guide to Social Networks

Casciaro & Lobo, Lovable Fools and Competent Jerks

Section: Week 11

Readings

Cohen & Prusak, In Good Company, "Social Talk and Storytelling"

Benkler, The Wealth of Social Networks, select chapter

Cassidy, The Long Tail

Sageman, Terror Networks

Krebs, Connect the dots

Section: Week 12

Readings

Bornstein, How to Change the World, Ch. 3 & 8

Barnat & Bedau, Critical Writing

Section: Week 13

Readings

Castells, The Rise of the Network Society, Ch. 2

Section: Week 14

Readings

TI, Ch. 7: Suicide and Cigarettes

Six Degrees, Ch. 10 & 11