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Environmentally focused social network analysis (Env. SNA) has increasingly benefited from engagement, which refers to the process of incorporating the individuals, organizations, actors, stakeholders or other study participants into the research process. Research about engagement in the wider field of environmental management shows that successful engagement often requires significant planning and exchange among researchers and stakeholders. While there is no one size fits all approach, several important guiding principles have been established. To date, this engagement literature has not focused specifically on SNA, even though several examples of engaged SNA exist in the literature and point to some specific challenges to engagement when working with relational data. Drawing upon data from a survey of researchers who have incorporated engagement into Env. SNA, we focus specifically on the goals, scope, effectiveness, benefits and challenges of doing engaged Env. SNA research. We additionally highlight four case studies and demonstrate that researchers and participants find engagement to be a valuable experience with benefits in the researchers’ understanding of the context and meaning of their findings. Finally, we provide recommendations to scholars looking to embark on engaged Env. SNA research.

Environmental co-management has been advocated and applied in diverse contexts as an integrative and inclusive approach to make biodiversity conservation more effective and contextual. Co-management however requires the actors involved to overcome tacit boundaries and reconcile different viewpoints to reach a shared understanding on the environmental problem and envisioned solution(s). We depart from the assumption that a common narrative can serve as a base for a shared understanding and analyze what types of actor relations in co-management influence the emergence of a common narrative. Empirical data is collected using a mixed-method case study design. We apply the idea of narrative congruence, which relates to the similarity of narrations that actors tell, to investigate the effects of the types of relationships between two actors as well as specific leadership roles using an Exponential Random Graph Model. We find that frequent interaction between two actors and a trusted leader with many reciprocal trust ties to be important drivers to support the emergence of narrative congruence ties. Connecting leaders, i.e. actors in brokering positions, show a statistically significant negative correlation with narrative congruence ties. The results suggest that a common narrative tends to emerge in sub-groups around a highly trusted leader, in which actors talk frequently to each other. A brokering leader, however, seems to face strong difficulties of forming narrative congruence ties with others, although such brokers may play central roles in the co-design of common narratives to form the basis for motivating collective action in co-management. Lastly, we discuss the importance of common narratives and how leaders can better succeed in co-designing these in environmental co-management approaches.

Including stakeholders in environmental model building and analysis is an increasingly popular approach to understanding ecological change. This is because stakeholders often hold valuable knowledge about socio-environmental dynamics and collaborative forms of modeling produce important boundary objects used to collectively reason about environmental problems. Although the number of participatory modeling (PM) case studies and the number of researchers adopting these approaches has grown in recent years, the lack of standardized reporting and limited reproducibility have prevented PM's establishment and advancement as a cohesive field of study. We suggest a four-dimensional framework (4P) that includes reporting on dimensions of (1) the Purpose for selecting a PM approach (the why); (2) the Process by which the public was involved in model building or evaluation (the how); (3) the Partnerships formed (the who); and (4) the Products that resulted from these efforts (the what). We highlight four case studies that use common PM software-based approaches (fuzzy cognitive mapping, agent-based modeling, system dynamics, and participatory geospatial modeling) to understand human–environment interactions and the consequences of ecological changes, including bushmeat hunting in Tanzania and Cameroon, agricultural production and deforestation in Zambia, and groundwater management in India. We demonstrate how standardizing communication about PM case studies can lead to innovation and new insights about model-based reasoning in support of ecological policy development. We suggest that our 4P framework and reporting approach provides a way for new hypotheses to be identified and tested in the growing field of PM.

Land-use change is increasingly driven by global trade. The term "telecoupling" has been gaining ground as a means to describe how human actions in one part of the world can have spatially distant impacts on land and land-use in another. These interactions can, over time, create both direct and spatially distant feedback loops, in which human activity and land use mutually impact one another over great expanses. In this paper, we develop an analytical framework to clarify spatially distant feedbacks in the case of land use and global trade. We use an innovative mix of multi-regional input-output (MRIO) analysis and stochastic actor-oriented models (SAOMs) for analyzing the co-evolution of changes in trade network patterns with those of land use, as embodied in trade. Our results indicate that the formation of trade ties and changes in embodied land use mutually impact one another, and further, that these changes are linked to disparities in countries' wealth. Through identifying this feedback loop, our results support ongoing discussions about the unequal trade patterns between rich and poor countries that result in uneven distributions of negative environmental impacts. Finally, evidence for this feedback loop is present even when controlling for a number of underlying mechanisms, such as countries' land endowments, their geographical distance from one another, and a number of endogenous network tendencies.

Land-use change alters the dynamics of freshwater ecosystem services flows by affecting both service supply (by influencing hydrological processes and runoff) and demand (via changes in human water use). However, few studies have considered the wide range of effects of land-use change on freshwater ecosystem services' flows. In this study, we distinguished the impacts of changing water supply and demand in the Aojiang River watershed, Fujian Province, China, an important water resource for more than seven million people. Rapid urbanization between 1991 and 2015 led to a minor increase of 2.5% in the supply of freshwater ecosystem services. However, demand increased by 96.3%, leading to a 25.7% overall decrease in freshwater ecosystem services flows. Downstream demand for freshwater increased substantially due to large shifts in agricultural, urban, and industrial activities. Our analysis provides detailed information on freshwater ecosystem services flows from supply to beneficiaries within a watershed, thus facilitating integrated watershed management and decision making. This study demonstrates how land-use change and ecosystem services' flows can be integrated both at local and regional scales for land-use management, water reallocation, and ecological compensation, thus promoting the sustainability of freshwater ecosystems.

We examine carbon trade imbalances among 172 countries over a 10-year period (2000–2010). A carbon trade imbalance refers to the extent to which the carbon emissions embodied in a country's exports exceeds the emissions embodied in its imports. Although past research has considered how such imbalances coincide with variances in wealth and/or trade patterns, none have considered how such imbalances arise in the context of an evolving network structure. In this paper, we consider trade networks and carbon trade imbalances as co-evolving phenomena, and study these using an innovative combination of multi-regional input–output (MRIO) analysis with stochastic actor-oriented models (SAOMs). Our findings both challenge and support arguments made by ecological unequal exchange theory and the Gravity Model, and highlight the role emerging economies play in shaping network structure and the distribution of carbon trade balances overtime.

We examine distributions of pollution and wealth among countries over a 20 year period. We distinguish between pollution produced within a country and pollution triggered along global supply chains by a country's consumption. We explain pollution and wealth distributions via network characteristics. Our findings show a positive, (log-) linear relationship between a country's network position and both ways of accounting for pollution. In addition, core countries and/or ones with higher numbers and volume of export ties increase their shares of global wealth faster than shares of pollution.

Social science research has shown there is a nearly universal norm of seeking assistance from family members in times of need. However, when do individuals prefer to rely on friends, rather than family members, when they need support? This question has not been carefully addressed. To fill this gap in the literature we examine why rural Malawians - who typically have strong bonds with kin - might prefer to rely on friends instead of family if a crisis were to occur. Using the 2008 and 2010 waves of the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH), we consider how financial and non-financial exchanges with kin, and civic engagement, are associated with the composition of individuals' support networks. We find the decision to request a friend's help during a crisis is consistently associated with participation in civic-oriented activities, expanding our understanding of the determinants of different risk-pooling strategies.

Incentive-based models for network formation link micro actions to changes in network structure. Sociologists have extended these models on a number of fronts, but there remains a tendency to treat actors as homogenous agents and to disregard social theory. Drawing upon literature on the strategic use of networks for knowledge gains, we specify models exploring the co-evolution of networks and knowledge gains. Our findings suggest that pursuing transitive ties is the most successful strategy, as more reciprocity and cycling result from this pursuit, thus encouraging learning across the network. We also discuss the role of network size, global network structure, and parameter strength in actors’ attainment of knowledge resources.

In this article, we track how consumption in the United States, a highly developed “core” country, triggers value added and carbon inequalities around the globe. We consider these two sources of inequality for all commodities and services consumed in the United States, and then for three specific sectors, these being electronics, motor vehicles, and wearing apparel. Our findings show how the production of commodities for U.S. consumption tends to reify inequalities between countries. Larger shares of value added (in comparison to shares of carbon emissions) are generally experienced by more-developed, more-integrated countries, whereas the opposite tendency is experienced in less-developed, less-integrated regions. We note how these between-country differences can depend on the product chains that are analyzed. Our article makes use of a novel combination of social network analysis and multiregional input-output analysis to better capture some intuitive ideas of global trade and its consequences.

We examine carbon emission transfers via trade among countries over a 20-year period. A net transfer of carbon emission means that the emission embodied in a country’s imports exceeds the emission embodied in exports. We consider a number of socio-economic drivers to explain variations in such net transfers across countries. Our findings show a U-shaped curvilinear relationship between countries’ GDP per capita and their net carbon transfer, suggesting that countries are typically heavy net importers of carbon in early phases of economic development, become balanced or even net exporters of carbon in middle stages of development, and then return to being heavy net importers of carbon in later stages of development. We reflect on these findings in the context of ecological modernization (EM) and ecological unequal exchange (EUE) theories, as well as the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis.

Economic globalisation refers to flows of trade and capital among and between countries. A critical view on economic globalisation is that the historical forces influencing how and when a given country becomes integrated into global trade (and the world economy as a whole) condition the potential paths of development open to that country (e.g., Ref. [1]). Here, trade and other relations between countries act as structural mechanisms enabling wealthier, more core countries to maintain favourable terms of trade, which, in turn, negatively impact less developed, more peripheral ones in a variety of ways [2, 3].

Residential landscaping has important implications for water use and land use planning in the deserts of the American Southwest. Thus, it is important to investigate the motivations behind residents' landscaping behavior. This study applied a qualitative approach based on interviews of residents and horticulturalists. We found that time required for maintenance, maintenance costs, cultural and social influences, and concerns about water scarcity were key factors influencing residents' landscaping decisions. Horticulturists also play important roles in influencing residents' landscaping choices. Thus, it is important that local horticulturalists have accurate information when they communicate about landscape choices to the local community.

Although research has shown that countries’ world-systems positions can predict levels of pollution and wealth, there has been little research looking at how consumption in the core triggers both pollution and wealth elsewhere in the world economy. In this article, we track how consumption in the United States, a core country, triggers value added and pollution throughout global commodity chains. We track these distributions for all commodities and services consumed in the United States, then for six commodity groupings, and finally for two case studies, “Motor Vehicles” and “Wearing Apparel.” Our findings show how the production of commodities for US consumption tends to reify inequalities in the world-system: Larger shares of value added (in comparison to shares of pollution) are generally prompted within the core, whereas the opposite effect tends to be experienced in the non-core. We also discuss interesting exceptions to these general trends occurring at different levels of analysis. Finally, we draw special attention to China, the elephant in the room that exhibits both core and peripheral characteristics.

Peak Oil, which refers to the maximum possible global oil production rate, is increasingly gaining attention in both science and policy discourses. However, little is known about how this phenomenon will impact economies, despite its apparent imminence and potential dangers. In this paper, we construct a vulnerability map of the U.S. economy, combining two approaches for analyzing economic systems, i.e. input–output analysis and social network analysis (applied to economic data). Our approach reveals the relative importance of individual economic sectors, and how vulnerable they are to oil price shocks. As such, our dual-analysis helps identify which sectors, due to their strategic position, could put the entire U.S. economy at risk from Peak Oil. For the U.S., such sectors would include Iron Mills, Fertilizer Production and Transport by Air. Our findings thus provide early warnings to downstream companies about potential ‘trouble’ in their supply chain, and inform policy action for Peak Oil. Although our analysis is embedded in a Peak Oil narrative, it is just as valid and useful in the context of developing a climate roadmap toward a low carbon economy.

This research investigates perceptions of desert landscape held by different actor groups (resident versus expert group - including land developers, local politicians, city planners and NGOs) in New Mexico, USA. The results of this study found that although people share common appreciation of cultural and aesthetic landscape values, different perceptions and valuations are conflicting when special interests and needs of actors are apparent. NGOs and residents demonstrate their opposition to the current land development patterns and management practices. Results also revealed that the political and cultural elements of the landscape in the area are important drivers of growth patterns.

It is increasingly recognised that land degradation monitoring and assessment can benefit from incorporating multiple sources of knowledge, using a variety of methods at different scales, including the perspectives of researchers, land managers and other stakeholders. However, the knowledge and methods required to achieve this are often dispersed across individuals and organisations at different levels and locations. Appropriate knowledge management mechanisms are therefore required to more efficiently harness these different sources of knowledge and facilitate their broader dissemination and application. This paper examines what knowledge is, how it is generated and explores how it may be stored, transferred and exchanged between knowledge producers and users before it is applied to monitor and assess land degradation at the local scale. It suggests that knowledge management can also benefit from the development of mechanisms that promote changes in understanding and efficient means of accessing and/or brokering knowledge. Broadly, these processes for knowledge management can (i) help identify and share good practices and build capacity for land degradation monitoring at different scales and in different contexts and (ii) create knowledge networks to share lessons learned and monitoring data among and between different stakeholders, scales and locations.

The increasing use of stakeholder analysis in natural resource management reflects a growing recognition that stakeholders can and should influence environmental decision making. Stakeholder analysis can be used to avoid inflaming conflicts, ensure that the marginalization of certain groups is not reinforced, and fairly represent diverse interests. We present a case study from the Peak District National Park in the United Kingdom, where we used social network analysis to inform stakeholder analysis. This information helped us identify which individuals and categories of stakeholder played more central roles in the network and which were more peripheral. This information guided our next steps for stakeholder selection. The article ends with a discussion on the strengths and limitations of combining social network analysis with stakeholder analysis.

This special issue on social networks comes out of a National Research Methods Centre/ESRC funded seminar series, led by Nick Crossley, and co-led by John Scott and Christina Prell. The seminar series focused around various themes and issues pertaining to social networks. Part of this series' aim was to reinvigorate UK interest in a field that had, in the past, been significantly shaped by the contributions of UK scholars, but in more recent times had been eclipsed by the efforts of US and European scholars.

Stakeholder analysis means many things to different people. Various methods and approaches have been developed in different fields for different purposes, leading to confusion over the concept and practice of stakeholder analysis. This paper asks how and why stakeholder analysis should be conducted for participatory natural resource management research. This is achieved by reviewing the development of stakeholder analysis in business management, development and natural resource management. The normative and instrumental theoretical basis for stakeholder analysis is discussed, and a stakeholder analysis typology is proposed. This consists of methods for: i) identifying stakeholders; ii) differentiating between and categorising stakeholders; and iii) investigating relationships between stakeholders. The range of methods that can be used to carry out each type of analysis is reviewed. These methods and approaches are then illustrated through a series of case studies funded through the Rural Economy and Land Use (RELU) programme. These case studies show the wide range of participatory and non-participatory methods that can be used, and discuss some of the challenges and limitations of existing methods for stakeholder analysis. The case studies also propose new tools and combinations of methods that can more effectively identify and categorise stakeholders and help understand their inter-relationships.

Environmental applications of social network analysis (SNA) are just beginning to emerge, and so far have focussed on understanding the characteristics of social networks that increase the likelihood of collective action and successful natural resource management. We move beyond this discussion to demonstrate how knowledge gained from analysing the social networks of stakeholders can be harnessed for selecting stakeholders, and further, how these analyses can be influenced by the expressed wishes and concerns of stakeholders. Although we began our SNA using concepts derived from the resource-management literature, stakeholder involvement in the interpretation of the results led to the use of SNA techniques that had not previously been applied in the context of resource management. We thus re-analysed our data and modified our selection of research participants. Re-analysis led to the selection of research participants who (1) had unique positions in the network, thus occupying non-redundant communication roles in the network, (2) came from different stakeholder categories and (3) were relatively well-connected to others and tended to broker across different segments of the network. By combining insights from researchers and stakeholders in this way, it was possible to use SNA in an innovative and sensitive way to better meet the needs of the stakeholders and the research project.

The modelling of complex, dynamic and uncertain socioenvironmental systems requires close collaboration between research disciplines and stakeholders at all levels, for if such models are representations of aspects of reality, how can it be possible to build them without inputs from people who interact with the systems in reality? This paper reflects on findings of case study research involving stakeholders in knowledge creation through conceptual and formal model building to support upland water catchment management. The uncertainty, multiple scales and conflicting understandings of stakeholders inherent in natural resource management necessitate a strong focus on participatory processes in integrated modelling. This leads to the recognition that problems and solutions should be identified by the stakeholders themselves, emphasising the intersection and complementarity of lay and expert knowledge. Stakeholders in this context comprise varied groups such as land managers ( e. g. grouse moor managers and sheep farmers), water companies and water users, tourists, residents, policy-makers and researchers. Models are used at multiple stages to help formulate problems, create and compare conceptual understanding, and explore implications. This requires the involvement of stakeholders early in the problem formulation and research process to help answer the 'right' questions and provide 'relevant' outputs. This poses a number of interesting new challenges for the organisation of research. In contrast to traditional approaches of matching model components to expertise in the research team, modelling expertise must adapt to answer the questions and priorities that emerge from stakeholder engagement.

Moorlands are unique environments found in uplands of the temperate zone including in the UK, New Zealand and Ireland, and in some high altitude tropical zones such as the Andean paramos. Many have been managed through grazing, burning or drainage practices. However, there are a number of other environmental and social factors that are likely to drive changes in management practice over the next few decades. Some moorlands have been severely degraded and in some countries conservation and restoration schemes are being attempted, particularly to revegetate bare soils. Native or non-native woodland planting may increase in some moorland environments while atmospheric deposition of many pollutants may also vary. Moorland environments are very sensitive to changes in management, climate or pollution. This paper reviews how environmental management change, such as changes in grazing or burning practices, may impact upon moorland processes based on existing scientific understanding. It also reviews the impacts of changes in climate and atmospheric deposition chemistry. The paper focuses on the UK moorlands as a case study of moorland landscapes that are in different states of degradation. Future research that is required to improve our understanding of moorland processes is outlined. The paper shows that there is a need for more holistic and spatial approaches to understanding moorland processes and management. There is also a need to develop approaches that combine understanding of interlinked social and natural processes.

Social capital's rise in popularity is a phenomenon many have noted (Kadushin, 2006; Warde and Tampubolon, 2002; Portes, 1998). Although the concept is a relatively old one, it is the works of Bourdieu (1986), Coleman (1988; 1990), and Putnam (1993, 2000) that often get credited for popularizing the concept. These three, while sharing a view that social networks are important for social groups and society, place differing levels of emphasis on the role of networks in building trust or the exchange of various types of resources. In this paper, I briefly revisit these three theorists, and the criticisms each have received, to provide background for discussing recent research on social capital from a social networks approach. The social network approach is then applied to my own case study looking at the relations among not-for-profits, and special attention is given to the unique context of not-for-profits, and how this context might elaborate or challenge current thoughts on social, aka ‘network’ capital. A final discussion is also given to some measurement problems with the network approach to social capital.

Introduction There is now widespread recognition in the academic and wider community that those who are affected by, or who have the power to affect environmental decision-making processes, have a right to be consulted (e.g. the EU’s Aarhus Convention enshrines this right in law). There is also growing evidence that their involvement may enhance the quality of decisions made (Prell et al ., 2008). However, these benefits depend upon appropriate representation of stakeholders, and this poses significant challenges. In many cases, the population of stakeholders is unknown, and thus, locating a representative sample is difficult. In addition, different stakeholders are likely to have different views about what are the relevant issues, and who are the most relevant parties to invite to the table. In this chapter, we put forward social network analysis as a complementary tool to help unravel who is a relevant stakeholder. In doing so, we argue that including a network analysis of stakeholders demonstrates another dimension to the idea of “diversity” in considering “wide representation” of stakeholders. In addition to trying to capture a diversity of perspectives from diverse stakeholder categories, we argue for considerations of diversity based on social networks, i.e. diverse positions within a wider network structure, and demonstrate how social network analysis can be used for uncovering such positions.

Social Network Analysis (SNA), a quantitative approach to the study of social relations, has recently emerged as a key tool for understanding the governance of natural resources. Bringing together ...

In this paper, I summarize case study research on an information system called Connected Kids. This case study was guided by an approach to technology studies called the ‘Social construction of technology’ or SCOT Pinch and Bijker (1984). In discussing Connected Kids, I illustrate many of SCOT's main tenents, e.g. the various social interactions that surround and influence technology design. As the paper progresses, however, I focus on one concept in particular, that being SCOT's notion of a ‘technological frame,’ which is used as a catch-all concept for handling the structural influences in technology design. My discussion and illustration of this concept shows that – whilst technological frames help an analyst understand, in general terms, the role structure(s) play in shaping technology – the ‘heterogeneity’ of technological frames can cloak the more obvious, and potentially most influential, forces at work in technology design. In the case of Connected kids, the role of resources, and which actors had access to these resources, was critical in pointing Connected Kids down a particular trajectory. Further, this discovery emerged from listening carefully to respondents’ comments on the role of resources in their community. These comments, and my own observations on how resource-access propelled certain actors into a leadership position, led to my developing an alternative method for analyzing technological frames. The implications of this analysis are then discussed within the context of SCOT and technology studies more generally.

This paper draws upon an ongoing study pertaining to the early development of one component of a community network in the city of Troy, New York, USA. The component under study is that of a database to be distributed via a community network. Community networking literature posits a relationship between social capital and community networking, stating that community networking should positively affect levels of social capital in a community. This article begins exploring this relationship through reviewing the social capital concept as presented in the literature. Measures are developed from the field of social network analysis and applied to a group of community members involved in this database project. Results show high levels of in-degree centrality correlating with trustworthiness and resource exchange, and betweeness centrality correlating with trustworthiness. Although in-degree centrality proves to be the more useful measure for purposes of studying community networking and social capital, discussion is given to the surprising results found for betweeness centrality.

Adaptive management has the potential to make environmental management more democratic through the involvement of different stakeholders. In this article, we examine three case studies at different scales that followed adaptive management processes, critically reflecting upon the role of stakeholder participation in each case. Specifically, we examine at which stages different types of stakeholders can play key roles and the ways that each might be involved. We show that a range of participatory mechanisms can be employed at different stages of the adaptive cycle, and can work together to create conditions for social learning and favorable outcomes for diverse stakeholders. This analysis highlights the need for greater reflection on case study research in order to further refine participatory processes within adaptive management. This should not only address the shortcomings and successes of adaptive management as a form of democratic environmental governance, but should also unpack the links between science, institutions, knowledge, and power.

This paper is part of an ongoing study that looks at the development of one component of a community network in a city in upstate New York: 'Community networks' refers to the use of computer networking technologies for the benefit of strengthening community goals and needs. The component studied is a youth database. In particular, this article looks at the early phases of this project: how the idea of the database emerged, how the technology was presented to the community, and the community's response(s) to this project. Theories guiding this paper include the social construction of technology (SCOT) theory and social worlds theory

Combining social network approaches with social theories to improve understanding of natural resource governance

(2006). Using stakeholder and social network analysis to support participatory processes. International Journal of Biodiversity Science & Management: Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 249-252.