Studying Diversity with Social Network Analysis

In this chapter, we argue that social network analysis (SNA), a method based on graph theory and statistical techniques, can help move the field of diversity research forward. We provide the reader with an introduction to the origins of the method, its key assumptions and essential terms, and connect these to diversity scholarship that has used SNA. To illustrate our argument and demonstrate possible applications of SNA and how it could contribute to diversity scholarship, we develop a practical example of gender in Denmark’s power elite. We conclude with a discussion of how we further envision the use of SNA in different methodological and epistemological traditions.