Workshop: An Introduction to Historical Social Network Analysis

A workshop titled 'An Introduction to Historical Social Network Analysis' will be hosted by the IMS and organised by Prof Emilia Jamroziak (Leeds) and Dr Matthew Hammond (KLC).

Historical social network analysis

It seems like social networks are everywhere these days. Aside from Facebook and Twitter, the fast growing field of social network analysis (SNA) is being taken up in fields as diverse as public health, business and politics. The study of the medieval past is no exception. While medievalists have been aware of the importance of social relationships and networks for years, engagement with the theoretical concepts of SNA and the use of quantitative network data and graphs is a relatively new development.

Workshop

The workshop 'An Introduction to Historical Social Network Analysis' will consist of three  hour-long sessions:

1) an introduction to the concepts and methods of Social Network Analysis

2) an exploration of the ways SNA has been applied in diverse ways to medieval history

3) a look at some of the SNA software and a chance to discuss whether SNA is a useful approach for your own research. It is sponsored by the University of Leeds Institute for Medieval Studies (IMS) and Social Network Analysis Researchers of the Middle Ages (SNARMA), and is also supported by the King's College London and AHRC-funded project Community of the Realm in Scotland (COTR), 1249-1424: history, law and charters.

No prior knowledge of SNA is assumed.

Speakers include:

  • Dr Cornell Jackson (Research Fellow, University of Leeds). Jackson has a PhD in Social Network Analysis from the University of Greenwich and has worked on wide-ranging projecets at multiple universities in various departments to apply SNA techniques.
  • Dr Matthew Hammond (Principal Investigator COTR, King's College London). Hammond is a medieval historian, prosopographer and digital humanist interested in using network analysis techniques to better understand medieval societies.
  • Ms Esther Lewis (PhD student, University of Nottingham). Lewis organised a successful day-conference in June 2018 at the Institute of Historical Research called 'Negotiating Networks'.

This event is free, but  registration is essential.

Questions about the workshop can be directed to organiser Dr Matthew Hammond (matthew.hammond@kcl.ac.uk). Emilia Jamroziak (Professor of Medieval Religious History, University of Leeds) is also a workshop organiser.