Given the often overwhelming complexity of many social networks involved in well-intentioned initiatives – reducing urban violence, peacemaking in communities, peacebuilding in nations – one wonders how and if anything ever gets accomplished.

In a ground breaking new approach published in a recent edition of the American Psychologist, dynamic network theory (DNT) offers hope. DNT integrates the science of social networks and psychology to show how a small set of eight social network roles can help us to understand conflict management and peacebuilding in complex social systems. They include:

Goal strivers:

System supporters:

Goal preventors:

Supportive resistors:

System negators:

Interactants:

Observers:

Read original article


Tags: