EMERGING THEORY OF NETWORKING

Abstract

The article reviewed the premises that underlie the perspective of social network analysis. Following current line of research, the main arguments that agency (capability of purposeful action) of network members was inadequately conceptualized in social network perspective were reviewed. The reset of the article was devoted for developing emerging theory of networking. There was proposed to define networking as purposeful action to shape network. The feature of purposeful action emphasizes necessity to acknowledge the agency of network members, their capability to form structure of network. Thus only purposeful action in order to shape networks could be called networking. The feature of shaping networks comprises purposeful action of network members by which they change set of ties and/or influence networks. It was argued that the theory of networking should explain how and why members of networks are networking (generally and in specific spatial and temporal contexts) and what consequences of their purposeful actions to shape networks are.