The governance of networks: Heuristic or formal analysis? A reply to Rachel Parker

Christopoulos, Dimitrios C.

Abstract

Rachel Parker, in her article 'Networked Governance or Just Networks?' in this journal, has dealt with a very challenging question on the relevance of network interaction to governance outcomes. Her use of network concepts, however, appears to employ networks as a heuristic device. Her article employs terms that describe social network properties that are best contextualised with reference to the theoretical insights offered by formal Social Network Analysis (SNA). My suggestion in this brief review is that some of the theoretical assumptions made about concepts such as fluidity, density or trust imply specific network properties that cannot be ignored when attempting an analysis of policy outcomes. © 2007 Political Studies Association.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jun 1, 2008
• Deposit Date: Dec 22, 2010
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 17, 2016
• Journal: Political Studies
• Print ISSN: 0032-3217
• Electronic ISSN: 1467-9248
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 56
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 475-481
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9248.2008.00733.x
• Keywords: social networks, governance, policy analysis
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1013481
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9248.2008.00733.x
• Contract Date: Apr 17, 2016