Multimodal Political Networks

Theories and methods for analyzing multimodal relations connecting political entities, including voters, politicians, parties, events, and nations.

David Knoke (Author), Mario Diani (Author), James Hollway (Author), Dimitris Christopoulos (Author)

9781108984720, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 27 May 2021

250 pages
15 x 23 x 2 cm, 0.44 kg

'If you need to model 3-mode networks combining, for example, persons, organizations and events, this book is the perfect methodological and illustrative introduction to the new formalisms that have emerged for empirical explorations and theory building in the last decade, and that keep emerging today.' Emmanuel Lazega, Sciences Po, Paris

Research on social networks has become a significant area of investigation in the social sciences, and social network concepts and tools are widely employed across many subfields within the field. This volume introduces political theorists and researchers to new theoretical, methodological, and substantive tools for extending political network research into new realms and revitalizing established domains. The authors synthesize new understandings of multimodal political networks, consisting of two or more types of social entities - voters, politicians, parties, events, organizations, nations - and the complex relations between them. They discuss ways to theorize about multimodal connections, methods for measuring and analyzing multimodal datasets, and how the results can reveal new insights into political structures and action. Several empirical applications demonstrate in great detail how multimodal analysts can detect and visualize political communities consisting of diverse social entities.

1. Politics, Communities, and Power
2. Multimodal Graphs and Matrices
3. Agency, Influence, Power
4. Political Communities in a Policy Network
5. Individuals in Associations: Structuring Civil Society
6. Agents and Events in Collective Action Fields
7. Nations Trading and Fighting
8. Legislative Influence
9. The Potential of Multimodal Political Networks.

Subject Areas: Political science & theory [JPA], Social research & statistics [JHBC], Social theory [JHBA], Sociology [JHB], Research methods: general [GPS], Research & information: general [GP]