Social network analysis in Covid-19 control
Md Shafiqur Rahman :
Social network refers to the articulation of a social relationship, ascribed or achieved, among individuals, families, households, villages, communities, regions, and so on. Each of them can play dual roles, acting both as a unit or node of a social network, as well as a social actor. A social network retains a multidimensionalsystem of somewhat durable contacts through psychic, emotional, verbal, and behavioralinteractions.
In a social network, reciprocity measures the degree of reciprocal nominations between network players where vertical hierarchies have low reciprocity, while horizontal hierarchies have high reciprocity. Centrality measures network players who are most connected and as such holds influential positions in the network.
Social networks can amplify the spread of behaviors that are both harmful and beneficial during pandemicof viral disease, like COVID-19. The virus itself spreads from person to person, and since people centrally located in networks come into contact with more people, they are often among the first to be infected. But the same central people may be instrumental in slowing the disease by positive interventions like promoting hand washing, use of face mask and physical distancing to a wide range of people.
Nudges are ways to leverage interventions to control COVID-19 by influencing positive reinforced behavior through modification of choice architecture. People are highly reactive to the choices made by trusted others. Nudges are also means of behavior change to complement regulatory, legal, and other imposed policies when widespread changes must occur rapidly.
In the sociocultural context of Bangladesh, the social network in rural, urban, slums…varies. It is imperative to understand how, within these networks, the central/nodal points can contribute their efforts in promoting behavior influencing control of COVID-19. Again, there are social networks within various professional groups, like healthcare workers, law enforcers, public administration…. All these various networks at some point comes in contact with the other professional group networks or regional networks.
The social class of Bangladesh is dominantly based on criteria of social power, prestige, position, wealth…. Based on these criteria people are also maintaining intra- and inter-class social networks. The nodal persons of these networks are also contributing in the COVID-19 spread, as well as, control.
Though the containment efforts through social networkis in action, but still the COVID-19 infection is in the uptrend. Some nodal points among professionals, peoples’ representatives, law enforcers…are seen to be infected, and in most instances, with their associated family members and colleagues. This calls for the attention of social scientists to fuse their knowledge with other actors in the containment efforts to point out the focus of further bolstering of social intervention for effective control of COVID-19.
Responsible persons may therefore leverage the impact of any behavior change effort by targeting well-connected individuals and making their behavior change visible and salient to others.
Social network refers to the articulation of a social relationship, ascribed or achieved, among individuals, families, households, villages, communities, regions, and so on. Each of them can play dual roles, acting both as a unit or node of a social network, as well as a social actor. A social network retains a multidimensionalsystem of somewhat durable contacts through psychic, emotional, verbal, and behavioralinteractions.
In a social network, reciprocity measures the degree of reciprocal nominations between network players where vertical hierarchies have low reciprocity, while horizontal hierarchies have high reciprocity. Centrality measures network players who are most connected and as such holds influential positions in the network.
Social networks can amplify the spread of behaviors that are both harmful and beneficial during pandemicof viral disease, like COVID-19. The virus itself spreads from person to person, and since people centrally located in networks come into contact with more people, they are often among the first to be infected. But the same central people may be instrumental in slowing the disease by positive interventions like promoting hand washing, use of face mask and physical distancing to a wide range of people.
Nudges are ways to leverage interventions to control COVID-19 by influencing positive reinforced behavior through modification of choice architecture. People are highly reactive to the choices made by trusted others. Nudges are also means of behavior change to complement regulatory, legal, and other imposed policies when widespread changes must occur rapidly.
In the sociocultural context of Bangladesh, the social network in rural, urban, slums…varies. It is imperative to understand how, within these networks, the central/nodal points can contribute their efforts in promoting behavior influencing control of COVID-19. Again, there are social networks within various professional groups, like healthcare workers, law enforcers, public administration…. All these various networks at some point comes in contact with the other professional group networks or regional networks.
The social class of Bangladesh is dominantly based on criteria of social power, prestige, position, wealth…. Based on these criteria people are also maintaining intra- and inter-class social networks. The nodal persons of these networks are also contributing in the COVID-19 spread, as well as, control.
Though the containment efforts through social networkis in action, but still the COVID-19 infection is in the uptrend. Some nodal points among professionals, peoples’ representatives, law enforcers…are seen to be infected, and in most instances, with their associated family members and colleagues. This calls for the attention of social scientists to fuse their knowledge with other actors in the containment efforts to point out the focus of further bolstering of social intervention for effective control of COVID-19.
Responsible persons may therefore leverage the impact of any behavior change effort by targeting well-connected individuals and making their behavior change visible and salient to others.
[Md Shafiqur Rahman, PhD, was an Associate Professor of Community Medicine and is currently working as a Consultant in the Directorate General of Health Services of Bangladesh; e-mail: [email protected]]