On the concept of social networks and their researchers

Abstract

This article is the result of a study conducted from 2011 to 2013 on social networks. The problem in that study was to identify the profile of the Brazilian bibliographic production on the subject and the possibilities of using that space to promote health. Because it was an exploratory-descriptive study, no initial hypotheses were established. The theoretical study allowed identifying historical relations between the concept and natural sciences, anthropology, and philosophy; however, it revealed a contradiction regarding the concept of social network and the individual and collective experience in current society. In a second phase, we identified research groups in Brazil which investigate subjects correlated with social networks. In short, the result regarding such groups showed that the dominant knowledge areas were communication (39.7%) and education (33.3%). As to the region, groups based in southeast Brazil predominate (44.2%), and, in terms of institution, the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (17.4%) and the Universidade de São Paulo (13.9%) predominate. Among the themes described in each group, the analysis categories “Social and economic questions” (9.7%) and “Social and cultural transformations” (9%) presented significance in relation with the other categories, thus showing a profile of Brazilian research with a strong social component.