Social Network Analysis aims to introduce social networks as conceptual tools for understanding the construction of social structure and social action, and as a set of methods or analytical approaches to data in network terms.

The modul connects the traditions of network thinking in social science with innovative methods for visualizing and analyzing network data. The network analysis evaluates actors and their relationships, which can be defined in various ways, depending on the puzzles at hand.

For instance, they could be families connected through marriage, politicians in making coalition, or organizations linked through the career mobility of individuals. The focus will be on the structure of relationships, which will be explored through middle-range theories of how ties are formed and broken.

Systematic modelling of networks has the potential to connect micro-level processes with macro-level outcomes. This approach allows for a better understanding of the relationship between social structure and social action.