Explore the intricacies of behavior diffusion in this Stanford seminar, delving into social change phenomena like the Arab Spring and Egypt's 2011 Twitter revolution. Uncover the puzzle of innovation diffusion, examining weak ties, social networks, and the small world model. Investigate complex contagions, neighborhood structures, and the role of network hubs in behavior spread. Learn about experimental sociology techniques, including randomized network studies and health interest interventions. Analyze the implications of social reinforcement, collective behaviors, and population dynamics on behavior adoption. Discover the complexities of social design, tipping points in social change, and the impact of partisan bias on social learning. Gain insights into designing effective social change strategies, with real-world applications such as HPV vaccination campaigns.
Overview
Syllabus
Introduction.
Social Change (Arab Spring).
Egypt (2011) Twitter.
Puzzle of Innovation Diffusion.
Intuitions.
Weak Ties.
What Goes Wrong?.
Ideas of Diffusion.
Summary.
Overview.
Social Networks.
Small World Model.
Social Reinforcement.
Collective Behaviors.
Complex Contagions.
Neighborhood Structure.
Findings.
Network Hubs.
Counterintuitive Implications.
Experimental Study.
Populations are Actors.
Experimental Sociology.
Experimental Design.
Randomization to Networks.
Select Health Interests.
Health Buddies.
Initiating Behavior.
Diffusion of Behavior.
Replication.
Commitment.
External Validity.
Complexity in Diffusion.
Social Design.
HPV Vaccination.
Tipping Points in Social Change.
Social Learning and Partisan Bias.
Designing Social Change.
Taught by
Stanford Online
