Music culture as a social network (Fall 2019): Difference between revisions

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short link to this page:  http://bit.ly/mcsn19<br>
short link to this page:  http://bit.ly/mcsn19<br>
[https://eclass.srv.ualberta.ca/course/view.php?id=52687 link to eClass site]: http://bit.ly/mcsn19e
[https://eclass.srv.ualberta.ca/course/view.php?id=52687 link to eClass site]: http://bit.ly/mcsn19e<br>
[https://bit.ly/mcsn19a link to assignments page]:  http://bit.ly/mcsn19a<br>
[https://bit.ly/mcsn19g link to google drive folder containing additional resources]:  http://bit.ly/mcsn19g


MUSIC 466/566: Music Culture as a Social Network (Topics in Ethnomusicology)<br>
'''MUSIC 466/566: Music Culture as a Social Network (Topics in Ethnomusicology)'''<br>


''(available for undergraduate or graduate credit)''
''(available for undergraduate or graduate credit)''
''There are no prerequisites for this course. Anyone can take it.''
''There are no prerequisites for this course. Anyone can take it.''


Meetings: Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM in '''Rutherford South computer lab 2-03 (2nd floor)''' '''NOTE: NEW ROOM!!'''
Meetings: Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM in '''Rutherford South computer lab 2-05A (2nd floor)''' '''NOTE: NEW ROOM!!''' ''Rutherford south is the *old* building.''


[[Image:MCSN-poster-small.png|thumb|1600px|right|border|]]
[[Image:MCSN-poster-small.png|thumb|1600px|right|border|]]
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Professor [http://frishkopf.org Michael Frishkopf]<br>
Professor [http://frishkopf.org Michael Frishkopf]<br>
Office: 334D Old Arts Building<br>
Office: 334D Old Arts Building<br>
Office hours:  [https://www.artsrn.ualberta.ca/fwa_mediawiki/index.php/Michael_Frishkopf_office_hours by appointment] <br>
'''Office hours:  [https://www.artsrn.ualberta.ca/fwa_mediawiki/index.php/Michael_Frishkopf_office_hours by appointment; click here]''' <br>
Tel: 780-492-0225<br>
Tel: 780-492-0225<br>
Email: michaelf@ualberta.ca<br>
Email: michaelf@ualberta.ca<br>
[https://youtu.be/O0Br0XLW_vs See overview video presented at annual meetings of SEM and AMS in 2021]


<br>
<br>
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There are no prerequisites for this course. Anyone can take it.
There are no prerequisites for this course. Anyone can take it.
[https://youtu.be/O0Br0XLW_vs Introduction to SNA for Music Studies]


= Background =
= Background =
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This seminar-workshop attempts to bridge the gap between traditional humanistic scholarship and SNA by providing a gentle introduction to methods, theories, and issues in social network analysis,with applications to ethnomusicology.  You won’t merely read about social network analysis, you’ll actually do it!   
This seminar-workshop attempts to bridge the gap between traditional humanistic scholarship and SNA by providing a gentle introduction to methods, theories, and issues in social network analysis,with applications to ethnomusicology.  You won’t merely read about social network analysis, you’ll actually do it!   


Ethnomusicological applications of SNA include understanding the ways musicians and audiences interact in performance; network aspects of celebrity formation; exploring communities of musical taste; understanding the circulation of online music; analyzing the role of music in shaping social networks, particularly online (including those [https://www.ranker.com/list/music-social-networks/dot-commander specifically devoted to music]); investigating networks of musical friendship, prestige, and respect; examining linkages between music sites on the Internet; considering networks generated by musical collaborations (e.g. composer-lyricist relations); the overlap of friendship and musical collaboration network; small world networks in the arts (c.f. [http://oracleofbacon.orgSix Degrees of Kevin Bacon][http://findthebacon.com/]); affiliation networks of numerous types; [http://blog.sonicbids.com/the-top-8-social-media-outlets-to-promote-your-music-and-how-to-best-use-them the use of social networks to promote music and musicians], and many other topics.
Ethnomusicological applications of SNA include understanding the ways musicians and audiences interact in performance; network aspects of celebrity formation; exploring communities of musical taste; understanding the circulation of online music; analyzing the role of music in shaping social networks, particularly online (including those [https://www.ranker.com/list/music-social-networks/dot-commander specifically devoted to music]); investigating networks of musical friendship, prestige, and respect; examining linkages between music sites on the Internet; considering networks generated by musical collaborations (e.g. composer-lyricist relations); the overlap of friendship and musical collaboration network; small world networks in the arts (c.f. [http://oracleofbacon.orgSix Degrees of Kevin Bacon][http://findthebacon.com/], or [https://www.sixdegreesofwikipedia.com/ Six Degrees of Wikipedia]); affiliation networks of numerous types; [http://blog.sonicbids.com/the-top-8-social-media-outlets-to-promote-your-music-and-how-to-best-use-them the use of social networks to promote music and musicians], and many other topics.


On a more theoretical level, we'll explore the co-mediation of social networks (sonets) and semantic networks (senets) as providing the basic fabric of social and cultural life.
On a more theoretical level, we'll explore the co-mediation of social networks (sonets) and semantic networks (senets) as providing the basic fabric of social and cultural life.
= [https://drive.google.com/open?id=16zgeyhUdAiGbP7uOLyOc5BqHkgnEiVSA Official course syllabus] =
= [https://drive.google.com/open?id=16zgeyhUdAiGbP7uOLyOc5BqHkgnEiVSA Official course syllabus] =


[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16zgeyhUdAiGbP7uOLyOc5BqHkgnEiVSA Official course syllabus]
[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16zgeyhUdAiGbP7uOLyOc5BqHkgnEiVSA Official course syllabus]


= Schedule =
= Schedule of Assignments =


[[MCSN 2019 schedule]] (assignments and class activities, by date) <br>
[[MCSN 2019 schedule]] (assignments and class activities, by date) <br>
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|-
|-
! In class
! In class
| Lectures and labs, quizzes || Discussions about readings || Brainstorming and brief reports, with class feedback
| Lectures and labs || Discussions about readings, quizzes || Brainstorming and brief reports, with class feedback
|}
|}


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All print materials on Rutherford Reserve, and several are available free online (you don't have to buy anything!):
All print materials on Rutherford Reserve, and several are available free online (you don't have to buy anything!):


* Wouter de Nooy, Andrej Mrvar, and Vladimir Batagelj, ''[https://search.library.ualberta.ca/catalog/8303932 Exploratory Social Network Analysis with Pajek]'' (abbreviated: ESNAP), 3rd edition. (Cambridge University Press, 2018). (Available [https://search.library.ualberta.ca/catalog/8303932 online] and in the SUB bookstore.)  To be read in conjunction with the free SNA software package [http://mrvar.fdv.uni-lj.si/pajek/ Pajek] (which was created for PCs but also runs fine on Macs; [http://mrvar.fdv.uni-lj.si/pajek/MAC/PajekOSX1.pdf installation instructions for Mac are here]).  Please download the [http://mrvar.fdv.uni-lj.si/pajek/be3.htm book's associated datasets]; you'll need to work with them as you read the text and follow its hands-on instructions.
* Wouter de Nooy, Andrej Mrvar, and Vladimir Batagelj, ''[https://search.library.ualberta.ca/catalog/8303932 Exploratory Social Network Analysis with Pajek]'' (abbreviated: ESNAP), 3rd edition. (Cambridge University Press, 2018). (Available [https://search.library.ualberta.ca/catalog/8303932 online] and in the SUB bookstore.)  To be read in conjunction with the free SNA software package [http://mrvar.fdv.uni-lj.si/pajek/ Pajek] (which was created for PCs but also runs fine on Macs; [[Pajek installation | installation instructions are here]]).  Please download the [http://mrvar.fdv.uni-lj.si/pajek/be3.htm book's associated datasets]; you'll need to work with them as you read the text and follow its hands-on instructions.
* Nick Crossley, Siobhan McAndrew, Paul Widdop, eds. [https://www-taylorfrancis-com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/books/e/9781315867793 Social networks and music worlds].
* Nick Crossley, Siobhan McAndrew, Paul Widdop, eds. [https://www-taylorfrancis-com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/books/e/9781315867793 Social networks and music worlds]. (Available online via UofA Library)
* Albert-László Barabási, [http://networksciencebook.com/ Network Science]
* Albert-László Barabási, [http://networksciencebook.com/ Network Science] (Available free online)
* Paul McLean, ''[https://ezpa.library.ualberta.ca/ezpAuthen.cgi?url=https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ualberta/detail.action?docID=4761544 Culture in Networks]''
* Paul McLean, ''[https://ezpa.library.ualberta.ca/ezpAuthen.cgi?url=https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ualberta/detail.action?docID=4761544 Culture in Networks]'' (Available online via UofA Library)
* Raphaël Nowak, Andrew Whelan, editors, ''[https://search.library.ualberta.ca/catalog/7663305 Networked music cultures : contemporary approaches, emerging issues]''
* Raphaël Nowak, Andrew Whelan, editors, ''[https://search.library.ualberta.ca/catalog/7663305 Networked music cultures : contemporary approaches, emerging issues]'' (Available online via UofA Library)


=== Optional===
=== Optional===
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* Guido Caldarelli, Michele Catanzaro, ''Networks: A Very Short Introduction'', OUP Oxford, Oct 25, 2012 [https://www.amazon.com/Networks-Very-Short-Introduction-Introductions-ebook/dp/B00A18MV94/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1556160050&sr=8-1-fkmrnull Available as an e-book] and for sale at SUB bookstore.
* Guido Caldarelli, Michele Catanzaro, ''Networks: A Very Short Introduction'', OUP Oxford, Oct 25, 2012 [https://www.amazon.com/Networks-Very-Short-Introduction-Introductions-ebook/dp/B00A18MV94/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1556160050&sr=8-1-fkmrnull Available as an e-book] and for sale at SUB bookstore.
* Mark Newman. [https://search.library.ualberta.ca/catalog/8511958 Networks] (second edition), esp. Chapter 4 on Social Networks and Part II on fundamentals of network theory.
* Mark Newman. [https://search.library.ualberta.ca/catalog/8511958 Networks] (second edition), esp. Chapter 4 on Social Networks and Part II on fundamentals of network theory.
* [https://github.com/briatte/awesome-network-analysis A long list of resources]


''Social Network Analysis''
''Social Network Analysis''
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* John P Scott, ''[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44454764 Social Network Analysis: A Handbook]'', 2nd ed. (Sage Publications Ltd, 2000). (Available in the SUB bookstore.) Provides a succinct summary of the field at a more advanced level.
* John P Scott, ''[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44454764 Social Network Analysis: A Handbook]'', 2nd ed. (Sage Publications Ltd, 2000). (Available in the SUB bookstore.) Provides a succinct summary of the field at a more advanced level.


* [https://www-cambridge-org.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/core/books/models-and-methods-in-social-network-analysis/820FEB203C5272AD027A33D6F5AB15D4 Models and Methods in Social Network Analysis]
* [https://www-cambridge-org.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/core/books/models-and-methods-in-social-network-analysis/820FEB203C5272AD027A33D6F5AB15D4 Models and Methods in Social Network Analysis]. Edited by Peter J. Carrington, University of Waterloo, Ontario, John Scott, University of Essex, Stanley Wasserman, Indiana University, Bloomington


* [http://methods.sagepub.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/book/the-sage-handbook-of-social-network-analysis Sage Handbook of Social Network Analysis]
* [http://methods.sagepub.com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/book/the-sage-handbook-of-social-network-analysis Sage Handbook of Social Network Analysis]
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* Peter J. Carrington. [http://www.library.ualberta.ca/permalink/opac/4268280/WUAARCHIVE ''Models and methods in social network analysis.''] Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press; 2005. A collection of more advanced papers on SNA. Available electronically via our library.
* Peter J. Carrington. [http://www.library.ualberta.ca/permalink/opac/4268280/WUAARCHIVE ''Models and methods in social network analysis.''] Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press; 2005. A collection of more advanced papers on SNA. Available electronically via our library.
* Jennifer Golbeck, ''[https://www-sciencedirect-com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/book/9780124055315/analyzing-the-social-web Analyzing the Social Web]''
* Omar Lizardo and Isaac Jilbert, [https://bookdown.org/omarlizardo/_main/ Social Networks: An Introduction]
* Science Direct website, e.g. [https://www-sciencedirect-com.login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/topics/computer-science/centrality-measure Centrality measures]


''Graph theory''
''Graph theory''
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=== Required ===
=== Required ===


[[Pajek]] (Slovenian for "spider") is required, as it accompanies our textbook.  Pajek runs on Windows, Linux, and Intel Mac platforms. Your first task is to install [[Pajek installation | (here's how)]], and begin to get comfortable using it.  [[Pajek help|Help]] is available.  Note that Pajek runs best on PCs, but can also easily be run on a Mac with a bit of prep. I'll help you through it.   
[[Pajek]] (Slovenian for "spider") is required, as it accompanies our textbook.  Pajek runs on Windows, Linux, and Intel Mac platforms. [[Pajek installation | Pajek installation instructions are here]]. Install and begin to get comfortable using it.  [[Pajek help|Help]] is available.  Note that Pajek runs best on PCs, but can also easily be run on a Mac with a bit of prep. I'll help you through it.   


Generally, the most straightforward way to get around the Mac/PC issues for Mac users is to run Windows on your Mac. You can use Bootcamp to do this for free, or invest in a student-discounted version of [https://www.parallels.com/blogs/student-discount-on-parallels-desktop-for-mac/ Parallels] or use free VMware.  In these cases you'll have to have a copy of Windows, but there's a free option too. And then there's Wine, which allows you to run Windows apps on your Mac without running Windows. It's a simpler workaround and it works. See installation link above for the details.
Generally, the most straightforward way to get around the Mac/PC issues for Mac users is to run Windows on your Mac. You can use Bootcamp to do this for free, or invest in a student-discounted version of [https://www.parallels.com/blogs/student-discount-on-parallels-desktop-for-mac/ Parallels] or use free VMware.  In these cases you'll have to have a copy of Windows, but there's a free option too. And then there's Wine, which allows you to run Windows apps on your Mac without running Windows. It's a simpler workaround and it works. See installation link above for the details.


===Optional Network analysis and visualization tools===
A very useful "helper" program is [http://www.pfeffer.at/txt2pajek/index.php txt2pajek], which converts text files that name nodes into proper Pajek files that reference nodes by number. There's [http://www.pfeffer.at/txt2pajek/txt2pajek.pdf online help] available.


(broken link? see the [https://www.artsrn.ualberta.ca/fwa_mediawiki/index.php/Music_culture_as_a_social_network_(Fall_2011)#Optional_Network_analysis_and_visualization_tools 2011 version of the course here]).
===Other network analysis and visualization tools===


See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_science#Network_analysis_and_visualization_tools
* Optionally, you may like to explore and experiment with these '''[[Packages for network analysis, simulation, and visualization | packages for network analysis, simulation, and visualization]]'''...
* See also [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_science#Network_analysis_and_visualization_tools current wikipedia listing of network science tools], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Graph_drawing_software graph drawing], and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graph_database graph databases]


Optionally, you may like to explore and experiment with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Graph_drawing_software other packages]...
==[[Research on music networks |Performing research on music networks]]==


[https://networkx.github.io/ NetworkX]
[[Research on music networks | Click here to see useful information and listings of various kinds: types of music network, research questions, data sources, methods, and bibliography...]]


[http://socnetv.org/ SocNetV]
==Other SNA resources: tutorials, websites, syllabi, simulations, stats, datasets==


[http://visone.info/ Visone]
* [[Network Science online tutorials]]
 
* [[Network Science & SNA websites]] (centres, organizations, projects, courses)
[http://www.sagemath.org/ Sage]
* [[Network Science & SNA conferences]]
 
* [[SNA syllabi]] (from other universities)
[http://nodexl.codeplex.com/ NodeXL] for Excel (mainly Windows - but there are [http://www.connectedaction.net/2010/11/16/how-to-run-nodexl-on-a-connected-mac-or-other-platform-using-amazon-ec2/ solutions for mac] too)
* [[SNA sample analyses]]
 
* [[Network simulations | SNA simulations and demos]]
[http://gephi.org/ gephi]
* [[SNA videos]]
 
* [[Statistics]] (general)
[http://www.graphviz.org/ graphviz]
* [[Semantic music webs]]
 
* [[SNA datasets]]
[http://www.cytoscape.org/ cytoscape]
 
[http://graph-tool.skewed.de/ Graph-tool]
 
[http://www.touchgraph.com/seo touchgraph]
 
[http://igraph.org/ igraph]
 
[http://www.analytictech.com/netdraw/netdraw.htm netdraw]
 
[http://graphexploration.cond.org/ GUESS]
 
[http://www.stanford.edu/group/sonia/ Sonia]
 
[http://orange.biolab.si/ Orange], for data visualization, analysis, mining...
 
[https://www.amii.ca/meerkat/ Meerkat]
 
[http://snap.stanford.edu/ SNAP]
 
[http://semoss.org/ SEMOSS]
 
[https://webwebpage.github.io/ webweb], to display interactive networks in a browser.
 
[[Zeppelin]]
 
[https://sourceforge.net/projects/egonet/ Egonet]
 
Others:
* [http://www.casos.cs.cmu.edu/tools/index.php Tools at Carnegie Mellon's CASOS]
*[[Graph-tool]] and [[NetworkX]], [[Free Software|free]] and efficient Python modules for manipulation and statistical analysis of networks. [http://graph-tool.skewed.de/] [http://networkx.lanl.gov/]
* [http://www.texample.net/tikz/ tikz, which produces graphs from latex code]
*[http://igraph.sourceforge.net igraph], an [[open source]] [[C (programming language)|C]] library for the analysis of large-scale complex networks, with interfaces to [[R (programming language)|R]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]] and [[Ruby (programming language)|Ruby]].
*[[Orange (software)|Orange]], a free data mining software suite, module [http://www.ailab.si/orange/doc/modules/orngNetwork.htm orngNetwork]
*[http://pajek.imfm.si/doku.php Pajek], program for (large) network analysis and visualization.
*[[Tulip (software)|Tulip]], a free data mining and visualization software dedicated to the analysis and visualization of relational data. [http://tulip.labri.fr/]
*[http://semoss.org/ SEMOSS], an [[RDF_query_language|RDF-based]] [[Open-source_software|open source]] context-aware analytics tool written in [[Java_(programming_language)|Java]] leveraging the [[SPARQL]] query language.
*[http://casos.cs.cmu.edu/projects/ora/ ORA], a tool for [[Dynamic Network Analysis]] and network visualization. <ref>Kathleen M. Carley, 2014, ORA: A Toolkit for Dynamic Network Analysis and Visualization, In Reda Alhajj and Jon Rokne (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Social Network Analysis and Mining, Springer.</ref>
*[https://www.nsnam.org/ NS-3], a network simulation system


==[[Research on music networks]]==
== Programming ==


[[Research on music networks | types of music network, kinds of research]]
* [https://www.bigbookofr.com/ Resources for R]
 
== SNA Datasets, including those relevant to music ==
 
Note: new datasets are always popping up...please let me know if you find an interesting dataset that I should add to this list.
 
* [http://networkrepository.com/ Network repository]
* [https://github.com/awesomedata/awesome-public-datasets/blob/master/README.rst#complexnetworks Public datasets]
* [http://konect.cc/networks/ The KONECT Project network list][http://konect.uni-koblenz.de/networks/]
* [http://konect.cc/networks/arenas-jazz/ Jazz musician network]
* http://konect.uni-koblenz.de/networks/
* [http://alllmusic.com Allmusic, containing network data regarding collaborations and styles]
* http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/netdata/
* http://deim.urv.cat/~aarenas/data/welcome.htm
* http://snap.stanford.edu/data/index.html#road
* [http://vlado.fmf.uni-lj.si/pub/networks/data/esna/default.htm old ESNAP data sets]
* [http://mrvar.fdv.uni-lj.si/pajek/be3/ESNA3Data.zip new ESNAP data sets]
 
==Other resources==
 
* [[SNA websites]]
* [[SNA sample analyses]]
* [[Network simulations]]
* [[SNA videos]]
* [http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/resources.shtml Netlogo] for network simulations
* [[Statistics]]
* [[SNA syllabi]] (from other universities)


= Help pages =
= Help pages =

Latest revision as of 12:23, 15 October 2023

short link to this page: http://bit.ly/mcsn19
link to eClass site: http://bit.ly/mcsn19e
link to assignments page: http://bit.ly/mcsn19a
link to google drive folder containing additional resources: http://bit.ly/mcsn19g

MUSIC 466/566: Music Culture as a Social Network (Topics in Ethnomusicology)

(available for undergraduate or graduate credit) There are no prerequisites for this course. Anyone can take it.

Meetings: Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM in Rutherford South computer lab 2-05A (2nd floor) NOTE: NEW ROOM!! Rutherford south is the *old* building.

MCSN-poster-small.png

Professor Michael Frishkopf
Office: 334D Old Arts Building
Office hours: by appointment; click here
Tel: 780-492-0225
Email: michaelf@ualberta.ca

See overview video presented at annual meetings of SEM and AMS in 2021


Summary

Ethnomusicology is often defined as “the study of music in or as society or culture”. Social Network Analysis (SNA) is an application of mathematics (graph theory) to sociocultural phenomena. As SNA provides an insightful approach towards understanding society (social links) and culture (semantic links), it follows that SNA also provides an insightful means of thinking in ethnomusicology, and a productive tool for ethnomusicological research. Similarly, graph theory has been applied in many other disciplines - from computer science, to physics, to biology - resulting in a flourishing new field generally known as "network science".

In this course we consider ethnomusicology as “the study of music in, as, or generating networks.” With this formulation, networks define the social and cultural contexts within which music operates; the channels through which music, musical artifacts, and knowledge about music, diffuse; and as the basis for musical performance. Music is also a key factor in the formation and maintenance of social networks. This network approach has become especially pertinent with the rise of social media, at whose core lies a network, and through which much music and musical knowledge or opinion passes.

There are no prerequisites for this course. Anyone can take it.

Introduction to SNA for Music Studies

Background

SNA segment.png

These days, social networks seem to be everywhere, especially with the advent of "social networking" as a catchphrase; web-based social networking services such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram; and popularization of social network concepts such as six degrees of separation, and small-world networks[1]. But the idea of using graph theory to understand social groups and culture goes back nearly a century, while social networks themselves are intrinsic to being human. [2][3]

The same "network" concept is also used to define "semantic networks" of meaning, using the same analytical techniques that apply to networks of all kinds: locating centers, delineating cohesive subgroups, assessing connectivity, and related operations. In this course we examine both social networks (sonets) and semantic networks (senets), as the basis for doing ethnomusicology.

Ethnomusicology is typically defined as the study of music in society or the study of music as culture...if social network analysis (SNA) is an important approach towards understanding society and culture, then it follows that SNA should also provide an insightful means of thinking in ethnomusicology, and a productive tool for ethnomusicological research: Ethnomusicology is the study of music in social networks. Social networks define music's social and cultural context, as well as the channels through which music, musical knowledge, and knowledge of music makers, diffuse.

Yet few ethnomusicologists have explored SNA's possibilities, perhaps because SNA appears inaccessible, filed under "mathematical sociology," while music scholars have tended to prefer the more qualitative, critical, and interpretive approaches of the human sciences. SNA also presents some challenging methodological difficulties for fieldworkers - mapping social networks is not always easy, practically and ethically. Yet SNA's origins lies in social anthropology, a field with longstanding connections to ethnomusicology. Methodologically SNA is more feasible today, with the emergence of online virtual communities, defined by social networking websites, and other electronic communications. And the basic mathematics required to understand SNA is quite elementary.

This seminar-workshop attempts to bridge the gap between traditional humanistic scholarship and SNA by providing a gentle introduction to methods, theories, and issues in social network analysis,with applications to ethnomusicology. You won’t merely read about social network analysis, you’ll actually do it!

Ethnomusicological applications of SNA include understanding the ways musicians and audiences interact in performance; network aspects of celebrity formation; exploring communities of musical taste; understanding the circulation of online music; analyzing the role of music in shaping social networks, particularly online (including those specifically devoted to music); investigating networks of musical friendship, prestige, and respect; examining linkages between music sites on the Internet; considering networks generated by musical collaborations (e.g. composer-lyricist relations); the overlap of friendship and musical collaboration network; small world networks in the arts (c.f. Degrees of Kevin Bacon[4], or Six Degrees of Wikipedia); affiliation networks of numerous types; the use of social networks to promote music and musicians, and many other topics.

On a more theoretical level, we'll explore the co-mediation of social networks (sonets) and semantic networks (senets) as providing the basic fabric of social and cultural life.

Official course syllabus

Official course syllabus

Schedule of Assignments

MCSN 2019 schedule (assignments and class activities, by date)
Short link: http://bit.ly/mcsn19a

The schedule will be developed as the course progresses, in consultation with students and according to student feedback. See http://bit.ly/mcsn19a for the latest updates. New assignments will be posted the previous week.

This course schedule includes three parallel streams:

  1. SNA stream: Learning SNA, its theory (what), motivation (why), and mechanics (how - using Pajek), with homework, and in-class lecture/workshop formats;
  2. Critical stream: discussing applications of SNA to music and culture, via review of articles, book chapters, datasets, through homework and in-class seminar discussion format;
  3. Project stream: including identifying research problem and data; finding and reviewing sources; preparing proposal, annotated bibliography, outline, presentation, and final paper, including also in-class discussions of work in progress.
SNA stream (Tuesdays) Critical Stream (Thursdays) Project Stream (Thursdays)
At home, prior to class ESNAP reading and problem sets Other readings, reading reviews Preparation of ideas, examples, assignments
In class Lectures and labs Discussions about readings, quizzes Brainstorming and brief reports, with class feedback

Requirements

See Official course syllabus

eClass

eClass will be used to accept assignments. Please do not email assignments or submit hardcopy. Note the shortcut: http://bit.ly/mcsn19e

Resources

Books

You'll find a number of these books on reserve in the Music Library (Rutherford, 2nd floor), though new rules may preclude placing textbooks there. Some are also available electronically. But I do recommend purchasing the required work (ESNAP), since working from an electronic version may prove awkward as you're also using your computer to work the examples using Pajek.

Required

All print materials on Rutherford Reserve, and several are available free online (you don't have to buy anything!):

Optional

No need to purchase these at the outset, and several are already available for free online. As for the others, if you find them to your liking you may wish to own a copy. Browse at the library or bookstore.

Texts and reference works

We may use these works to supplement the primary text. I'll make assignments from some of them from time to time; others are listed simply for your reference.

Networks in general

  • Guido Caldarelli, Michele Catanzaro, Networks: A Very Short Introduction, OUP Oxford, Oct 25, 2012 Available as an e-book and for sale at SUB bookstore.
  • Mark Newman. Networks (second edition), esp. Chapter 4 on Social Networks and Part II on fundamentals of network theory.
  • A long list of resources

Social Network Analysis

  • Robert A. Hanneman and Mark Riddle. Introduction to social network methods (also available as a pdf. Free.) Works well with Netdraw (which runs only on PCs, or Macs in Windows compatibility mode). You may wish to refer to this alternative text to clarify and reinforce understanding, especially if you're having trouble with a concept presented in ESNAP.
  • John P Scott, Social Network Analysis: A Handbook, 2nd ed. (Sage Publications Ltd, 2000). (Available in the SUB bookstore.) Provides a succinct summary of the field at a more advanced level.
  • Wasserman, Stanley and Faust, Katherine. Social network analysis: methods and applications. Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press; 1994. A rich summary of SNA theory and applications, for those who want a more complete and rigorous reference work.

Graph theory

Popular treatments

Enjoyable and accessible, these books will also stimulate your creative thinking...feel free to browse selectively.

(Social) Network Analysis Software (all free!)

Required

Pajek (Slovenian for "spider") is required, as it accompanies our textbook. Pajek runs on Windows, Linux, and Intel Mac platforms. Pajek installation instructions are here. Install and begin to get comfortable using it. Help is available. Note that Pajek runs best on PCs, but can also easily be run on a Mac with a bit of prep. I'll help you through it.

Generally, the most straightforward way to get around the Mac/PC issues for Mac users is to run Windows on your Mac. You can use Bootcamp to do this for free, or invest in a student-discounted version of Parallels or use free VMware. In these cases you'll have to have a copy of Windows, but there's a free option too. And then there's Wine, which allows you to run Windows apps on your Mac without running Windows. It's a simpler workaround and it works. See installation link above for the details.

A very useful "helper" program is txt2pajek, which converts text files that name nodes into proper Pajek files that reference nodes by number. There's online help available.

Other network analysis and visualization tools

Performing research on music networks

Click here to see useful information and listings of various kinds: types of music network, research questions, data sources, methods, and bibliography...

Other SNA resources: tutorials, websites, syllabi, simulations, stats, datasets

Programming

Help pages

How to write these wiki pages

Pajek help

Official policy

Please carefully review the following:

  • The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.”