Abstract
The concept of weak versus strong social ties is introduced, including the classical and contemporary definitions as well as the ambiguities related to the operationalization of the definitions. Furthermore, a concept is presented of social entrepreneurship and the way social entrepreneurs build and enhance weak ties in disenfranchised groups and communities. Analogies to chemical processes (using a static as well as a dynamic model) provide a gateway for further research and for modeling the dynamics that measure the strength of social ties. One of the conclusions is that for a harmonious development of groups, communities and societies, a balance between strong and weak ties should be sustained.
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Notes
- 1.
ICT is Information and Computer Technologies.
- 2.
See: www.ashoka.org/fellows/dagmara_bienkowska; more on Ashoka in the next section.
- 3.
See: www.ashoka.org.
- 4.
See: Ashoka selection criteria explained: www.ashoka.org/support/criteria.
- 5.
Granovetter (1973) held that for his article it is sufficient to estimate roughly, on an intuitive basis, whether a given tie is strong, weak, or absent.
- 6.
Csermely goes even further, indicating that there are fairly distinct stronglinker and weaklinker phenotypes.
- 7.
For the latter, see Granovetter (1995).
- 8.
- 9.
- 10.
- 11.
See: www.synapsis.waw.pl.
- 12.
For social capital built by social entrepreneurs see: Praszkier et al. (2009).
- 13.
It takes a much higher temperature to break apart the molecules into their constituent single atoms, breaking the strong (covalent) bonds. At still much higher temperatures, the atoms are torn apart into nucleus and separated electrons.
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Praszkier, R. (2013). Social Entrepreneurs Open Closed Worlds: The Transformative Influence of Weak Ties. In: Nowak, A., Winkowska-Nowak, K., Brée, D. (eds) Complex Human Dynamics. Understanding Complex Systems. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31436-0_7
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