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Roy,

    Look at critiques of functionalism.  Most network analysis is 
exactly what network analysis was invented to oppose. I have talked with 
Granovetter about this at length and one of the reasons he does not go 
to SunBelt is because most of the network analysis projects are counter 
to the way of thinking he tries to teach.  One paper he recommended to 
me was by Stephen J Gould on "The Panglossian Paradigm."  If you read 
Granovetter, White and the others who created modern network analysis at 
Harvard in the 60's, the central themes of their work is to find 
principled alternatives to systems theory and the idea of atomic 
actors.  Tons of network analysis these days (I a tiny bit of reviewing 
for journal articles) is computer models of agents forming networks, 
exactly what the network metaphor was created to combat. I often get 
papers on "modeling work flow with network analysis" which is pure 
functionalism.  Another is to look at networks to discern their purpose. 

    It is hard to paint network analysis with one brush.  At SunBelt I 
have talked at length with about the "White" vs. the "Friedman" camp 
(especially with Emmanuel Lazegas).  About a year ago Harrison said "I 
am sick of networks," and, of course, there is Mark's SunBelt keynote 
"The Myth of Networks as a Special Method in Sociology." 

-Don
> *****  To join INSNA, visit http://www.insna.org  *****
>
> Dear members,
>
> We are well served with 'positive' critiques of network analysis from 
> van Velsen (1964) to the present day, but I'm having difficulty 
> finding any less so bowled over with the approach.  Can anyone point 
> me to such papers?
>
> Thanks
>
>
> Roy Greenhalgh
> MPhil/PhD Research Student
> School of Social Sciences
> University of Southampton
> Highfield
> Southampton
> SO17 1BJ
>
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> Phone: 07976 881013
>
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