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The coevolution of networks and health

Introduction to the Special Issue of Network Science

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 August 2017

DAVID R. SCHAEFER
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA (e-mail: drschaef@uci.edu)
JIMI ADAMS
Affiliation:
Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA (e-mail: jimi.adams@ucdenver.edu)

Extract

Historically, health has played an important role in network research, and vice versa (Valente, 2010). This intersection has contributed to how we understand human health as well as the development of network concepts, theory, and methods. Throughout, dynamics have featured prominently. Even when limited to static methods, the emphasis in each of these fields on providing causal explanations has led researchers to draw upon theories that are dynamic, often explicitly. Here, we elaborate a variety of ways to conceptualize the relationship between health and network dynamics, show how these possibilities are reflected in the existing literature, highlight how the articles within this special issue expand that understanding, and finally, identify paths for future research to push this intersection forward.

Type
Introduction
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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