Computational Social Networks Sequence

Department of Sociology, UCLA

Welcome to the course repository for the Graduate Computational Social Networks Sequence (SOCIOL 208A & 208B) at UCLA. This website hosts all syllabi, reading schedules, interactive lecture notes, R code snippets, and instructional materials.

SOCIOL 208A

Social Networks Methods
Fall Quarter

A graduate-level seminar focused on the data-analytic and computational techniques used in Social Network Analysis (SNA). This course covers the practical application of network theory using R and igraph.

Key Topics Covered:

Centrality, status, and prestige measures
Cohesion, equivalence, and similarity
Community detection and subgroups
Two-mode (bipartite) networks
Statistical models (ERGM, QAP, Swapping)

Syllabus Schedule

SOCIOL 208B

Social Networks Theory
Spring Quarter

A substantive graduate seminar exploring the theories, perspectives, and empirical research in sociology through a social networks lens. The focus is on substantive contributions and conceptual frameworks.

Key Topics Covered:

Relational sociology & network thinking
Weak ties, homophily, and brokerage
Collaboration networks & field dynamics
Network diffusion and contagion
Historical social networks & inequality

Syllabus Schedule

Sequence Overview

The sequence is designed to equip students with both the theoretical foundations and the methodological toolkit required to conduct original, publication-quality research using network analytic approaches:

Code

flowchart LR
    A[SOCIOL 208A: Methods] -->|Methodological Toolkit| C(Original Research)
    B[SOCIOL 208B: Theory] -->|Theoretical Foundations| C

flowchart LR
    A[SOCIOL 208A: Methods] -->|Methodological Toolkit| C(Original Research)
    B[SOCIOL 208B: Theory] -->|Theoretical Foundations| C

To get started, select a course syllabus from the cards above or browse the lecture topics directly using the sidebar navigation.

--- title: "Computational Social Networks Sequence" subtitle: "Department of Sociology, UCLA" number-sections: false page-layout: full --- Welcome to the course repository for the Graduate Computational Social Networks Sequence (SOCIOL 208A & 208B) at UCLA. This website hosts all syllabi, reading schedules, interactive lecture notes, R code snippets, and instructional materials. ::: {.grid} ::: {.g-col-12 .g-col-md-6} ::: {.card .h-100 .shadow-sm} ::: {.card-body} ### SOCIOL 208A {.card-title .text-primary} **Social Networks Methods** *Fall Quarter* A graduate-level seminar focused on the data-analytic and computational techniques used in Social Network Analysis (SNA). This course covers the practical application of network theory using `R` and `igraph`. **Key Topics Covered:** <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li> Centrality, status, and prestige measures</li> <li> Cohesion, equivalence, and similarity</li> <li> Community detection and subgroups</li> <li> Two-mode (bipartite) networks</li> <li> Statistical models (ERGM, QAP, Swapping)</li> </ul> ::: {.d-flex .gap-2 .mt-3} [ Syllabus](syllabus-208A.qmd){.btn .btn-primary} [ Schedule](schedule-208A-F24.qmd){.btn .btn-outline-primary} ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: {.g-col-12 .g-col-md-6} ::: {.card .h-100 .shadow-sm} ::: {.card-body} ### SOCIOL 208B {.card-title .text-primary} **Social Networks Theory** *Spring Quarter* A substantive graduate seminar exploring the theories, perspectives, and empirical research in sociology through a social networks lens. The focus is on substantive contributions and conceptual frameworks. **Key Topics Covered:** <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li> Relational sociology & network thinking</li> <li> Weak ties, homophily, and brokerage</li> <li> Collaboration networks & field dynamics</li> <li> Network diffusion and contagion</li> <li> Historical social networks & inequality</li> </ul> ::: {.d-flex .gap-2 .mt-3} [ Syllabus](syllabus-208B.qmd){.btn .btn-primary} [ Schedule](schedule-208B-S22.qmd){.btn .btn-outline-primary} ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: --- ### Sequence Overview The sequence is designed to equip students with both the theoretical foundations and the methodological toolkit required to conduct original, publication-quality research using network analytic approaches: ```{mermaid} %%| theme: neutral flowchart LR A[SOCIOL 208A: Methods] -->|Methodological Toolkit| C(Original Research) B[SOCIOL 208B: Theory] -->|Theoretical Foundations| C ``` To get started, select a course syllabus from the cards above or browse the lecture topics directly using the sidebar navigation.