Social success not about who you know – it’s about knowing who knows whom | Social mobility
When it comes to social climbing, it is not the one you know, or the number of people you know, it relates to the knowledge of who knows, as the research suggests.
Experts who study the social ties carried out by university students in the first year say that those who ended up with the greatest influence were not necessarily the most popular, but those who have a good idea, early, about who belongs to the group or society.
“The presence of friends helps, but the social impact is not only related from You know – it’s too What You know about the rest of your social network.
Writing in Science Magazine offersAmerican researchers reported how they were requested of 187 students to complete investigative studies on who are friends at six different points during their first year at the university.
The team used the results to set contacts between individuals, and how this changed over time.
In two points, shortly after the start of the school year and once in the spring, the researchers ranked students on the number of friends who have their social impact-with the latter determining by linking their friends well.
The researchers also asked each participant if they knew if the husbands given to the students were friends.
The results reveal the number of friendships that people have reported have changed little over time, but friendships between individuals and the level of people’s influence have turned.
“Popularity does not change throughout the year,” said Dr. Oreel Feldmnah, co -author of the study from the University of Brown. “What are the changes greatly is that people who were the most influential in early are no longer the most influential by the end of the year.”
The researchers said this variable network has become more stable as the school year continues.
Feldmnhol said it is not clear what made people influence early in the study, but students who rose to become the most influential in the end are those who have early visions on how all their peers connect.
“In order to become influential, you need to know who friends are with who, and you need to see a bird about how people are assembled in different social groups or different groups.”
She said that individuals can use this knowledge to become more influential – for example by making new friendships or an effective numbers maker.
Aslaus added that it is only influential for people to develop a more detailed knowledge of individual friendships.
She said, “You expect your network to become influential over time, more than just a lot of friends,” she said.
“Therefore, social knowledge seems to be the first main step towards becoming better in your network.”
