The Whole is Great

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Chapter 9
The Whole is Great
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Since the Beginning
Since the beginnings of human civilization,
connections have shaped and aided our development
as a race.
Even the Bible refers to the strength of ties in
passages like the Tower of Babylon and the story
of Jericho.
Photo by jankie, Flickr
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Since the Beginning
Theorists from Hobbes to Rousseau have speculated
about social contracts and what would make the
best form of human interaction.
Photos by The National Gallery, London and Sir
Paul, Flickr
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The Human Superorganism
By joining together, humans are able to
accomplish feats otherwise unimaginable, just
like ants cooperate to make an ant hill.
Photos by stevendepolo and sara.atkins, Flickr
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The Human Superorganism
Cooperation is key. Networks of cooperation can
lead to self-sustaining organisms, whether it
be cells in a human body or human bodies in a
neighborhood!
Photos by adrigu and gaminrey and Editor B, Flickr
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The Human Superorganism
With this cooperation, networks can do great
things. However, the power and influence of
networks can also be dangerous. On balance, the
impact of networks is for the good of us all.
Photos by KidMoxie and tbertor1, Flickr
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Social Network Inequality
The connections we have with others can influence
us to do many things from giving more to charity
to stealing a car. Our connections depend on
where we are located in our social
network. There is positional inequality
-- not because of who we are but because of who
we are connected to.
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Social Network Inequality
If you are connected to the right people, you
may have opportunities to get jobs, gifts, or
other extra benefits. If you are connected to
others you could be influenced to commit crimes
or eat unhealthy food. Position matters.
Photos by Andyrob and alexik, Flickr
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Connected
Social networks seem to have so much power and
influence over us But remember Social
networks are not just about the influence other
have over us, but also about the effect we have
on others!