Cooperation
I understand cooperation within networking to be the decision we make to cooperate or not. We chose what networks to be a part of and how we cooperate within them. I have made choices along the way to cooperate in certain networks and shy away from others. These where personal choices and not necessarily a 'strategy' (1) but maybe it was subconsciously. It is interesting to look at my networks and work out where my cooperation is at it's highest level. 'We can consider our interactions as random or we can see a pattern manifest within them.' (2) The networks that I am highly cooperative within are those that make me happy, with people in that appreciate me and therefore help my development. They are also networks that I am passionate about and I know my struggle to be included within them will be worthwhile. I do not like to think I operate in networks that are for my benefit but of coarse they are otherwise I would be very unhappy and never achieve my goals. The game theory is interesting to me in it's simplest form as networking is a game in itself in my eyes. Experienced networkers are clever, they analyse and use their networks to get maximum personal benefit and development. I would love to be better at this. The idea that there is a 'strategy' (1) to the results achieved from cooperation is very interesting and one that I would like to try. It would be great to find out the answer to:
'When should a person cooperate, and when should a person be selfish, in an ongoing interaction with another person?' (1)
Axelrod's game of Prisoner's Dilemma held interesting results to me that really opened my eyes to a new theory.
'To my considerable surprise, the winner was the simplest of all the programmes submitted, TIT FOR TAT.' (1)
That surprised me to! And it was a nice surprise. One of the main things that I have learnt about myself during my critical reflection is that I do too much. I love to achieve and I always look to do more than is asked of me but that is not always a good thing. Paula Nottingham put an image to me 'It is like me asking you to drive to London and you saying ok and I can drive you to Manchester then I can drive you to Edinburgh.' (3) That is too much and Axelrod again reinforces this within networking - less is more and I need to remember this in my work. I don't want to cooperate in so many networks that I can not maintain them and build quality development.
'TIT FOR TAT is merely the strategy of starting with cooperation, and thereafter doing what the other player did on the previous move.' (1)
This is so simple and makes so much sense, I have just never seen it this way before. The idea that you do what those around you are doing in order to win not more or less makes sense to me. However all the players entered into Prisoner's Dilemma at the same stage and this doesn't happen in life. In some networks I feel I am an expert and in others I am a novice and therefore I can not follow this 'strategy'. (1) I can understand that once you are established within a network this could work but how do you get there?
'a member of Congress who does not accomplish anything in interactions with colleagues will not long remain a member of Congress.' (1)
Cooperation leads to success within network. I need to improve my cooperation and work to really be aware of the other members of the network to perceive how I fit in and work best within it.
Affiliation
I understand affiliation to be our contact with other human beings in our personal and professional networks. We all crave affiliation it is what gives our lives meaning, but working out how this relates to my professional network is of great interest to me. Affiliation provides us,
'with a network of support that will help us when we are in need.' (4)
The principle of homeostasis is important to decipher within my practice in order to understand how I feel about affiliation.
'This principle states that our need for affiliation within each one of us may differ, but we each seek to balance our interactions with others to a preferred level.' (5)
When I was younger I really craved affiliation and even now I love meeting new people and creating new relationships. I know lots of people who have a set of friends and don't want to let any one else in or meet new people. Maybe they are lucky and have formed amazing affiliations but I believe this attitude shuts out a whole world of opportunity and experiences. I have learnt that it is hard to find real and true affiliations and it is about finding the ones that work for you and holding on to them when they do arise. Although I like to build affiliations I also like to stay quite private. In acknowledging this point I can see how this could be a hindrance one can not work without the other. Without opening up how can I expect those in my network to open up to me.
'While for particular professions, we might perceive all the barriers to entry into the establishment; it is up to each practitioner to see how to grow their professional networks sideways (to others at an equivalent level) as well as upwards into the established hierarchy.' (6)
This is a answer to the question regarding entry point into a network that I touched on when talking about cooperation. It is up to me to work out how my networks can grow to get me to the point of equal cooperation and this can relate to affiliations I make along the way. The concept of moving sideways relates to Simeon Grandjean's idea that our networks are like a game of snakes and ladders.
'If we have too little contact, we feel isolated, but if we have too much contact, we feel crowded.' (4)
This can be directly linked to our affiliation with people in our networks. It is about finding the balance between these two situations and understanding the level of contact that works for me to get the most out of my networks. Crisp and Turner go on to say that 'people control their level of contact with others to keep it stable and as close as possible to a desired level.' I do this subconsciously but I did not think about it in relation to my networking practice until I read this information. I will look further into the desired levels of affiliation that I maintain in order to understand the meaning behind my practises. In short I know I try and surround myself with positive and passionate people in order to make my world a better place to be.
Social constructionism
'Through our interactions, we can make meanings, which might be the values we attribute to a particular network, our preferred ways of engaging the network or extent to which we are willing to contribute selflessly to the network.' (2)
This statement really stood out to me. I have always had a desire to make a difference, for me that difference lies in the connections I make with others - affiliation. This desire is the same as 'makeing meaning' from my work. I like to think attributes I can make to a network are valued, I prefer to engage in positive and giving networks and give selflessly to those. I am engaging in social constructionism as I believe we all are. It is about realising this and the how the decisions we make lead us to find our own meaning and purpose.
'Accepting that the world we experience, prior to our experience of it, is without meaning does not come easy.' (6)
This is an interesting concept and Crotty is right it is not 'easy' to grasp. Of course the world has meaning without us in but it does not have meaning to us until we experience it. Crotty talks of how we have constructed the world around us and how the associations we make are from perceptions of those that have come before us. In relation to networks I see this as finding a way of realise that we are in control of our networks and they are not in control of us. We construct our own meanings from the experiences we have in our interactions with objects and human being. This is important to remember especially when entering a network as a novice.
Connectivism
This theory was a little overwhelming to approach. Connectivism has direct relation to the work I am doing right now in being in a learning process and that's why I feel the information is invaluable.
'Connectivism provides an explanation about how networks both learn and provide the means for individuals to connect and learn.' (2)
I want to know and grasp that explanation in order to add value and understanding to my practice.
'learning must be a way of being - an ongoing set of attitudes and actions by individuals and groups that they employ to try and keep abreast of the surprising, novel, messy, obtrusive, recurring events.' (7)
I find this statement comforting and it has provided a turning point for me. Within my networks I think I try and remain in control, conservative and professional at all times. Although this is obviously important we are all human beings and know that life isn't perfect and is also great fun! in sharing our 'surprising, novel, messy, obtrusive and recurring events' we can only connect deeper with our affiliations than push them away. I know there is a line that should not be crossed but I do not need to be so closed off in my professional work that I do not indulge in connectivism.
'persisting change in human performance or performance potential must come about as a result of the learner's experience and interaction with the world' (8)
Our networks are our experience and interaction and that is how we learn. This seems so obvious and simple but it is easy to loose sight of. I have a tendency to relate to knowledge as a higher power that I am not a part of and that I am struggling to obtain. In reality my everyday life is my knowledge and it is about taking a step out of it and looking at what I am really learning and how I can develop my practice to learn more. Connectivism is making things clear for me - I don't want to drive to Edinburgh anymore just London, taking in the sights along the way to enjoy my journey and remember it.
'In a networked world, the very manner of information that we acquire is worth exploring.' (9)
This is important to reinforce in relation to the Internet. I am one to believe that something is true just because someone more senior tells me it is so. I believe this to be my judgement when I know the person and see them face to face. But the Internet is huge and unknown we can not believe everything we read. It is important to use a critical approach within our web networks in order to maintain our status and understanding. It is easy to be led off in the wrong direction - it is important to stop and think about the networks we are operating within and making sure they are the right ones to be a part of and find those we are missing out on.
'Our small world networks are generally populated with people whose interests and knowledge are similar to ours. Finding a new job, as an example, often occurs though weak ties. This principle has great merit in the notion of serendipity, innovation and creativity. Connections between disparate ideas and fields can create new innovations.' (9)
This is a notion that I had never thought about before. We operate where we feel comfortable, even though we may enter networks as a novice I don't think many of us can say that we have had the 'guts' to embark on a completely unknown network in order to gain knowledge. I can understand how this would benefit I am a strong believer that we should always open our minds up to new thoughts and ideas. But how long do we spend exploring other networks when we long to become an experience practitioner within our specialist network? It is definitely something to explore and opens my eyes to the endless networks we can engage in. Connectivism can always be expanded it never stops otherwise the learning stops and life looses meaning - social constructionism.
As I begin to understand connectivism and it's power the following statements are ones that I will take with me and remember in my professional networking:
'The ability to draw distinctions between important and important information is vital.' (9)
This is a skill I need to build upon in order to continuously move with my learning it may be sideways or even backwards at times but I never want to stuck again like I have done. Inclusion in my networks will help me build on this.
'While there is a right answer right now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.' (9)
SO important for me to remember! Decisions are not forever and they are constantly changing so don't worry about them so much. Our networks change and we make certain decisions at certain times for a reason.
'Knowledge that resides in a database needs to be connected with the right people in the right context in order for it to be classified as learning.' (9)
Interesting view for me, I try and gather as much information as possible and while this is important it isn't learning it is just gathering. In order to learn I need to pick out the right information from my networks - less is more.
Communities of practice
'Learning is the process of engagement in social relationships rather than the process of acquisition of knowledge as an individual.' (2)
I understand the theory of communities of practice to centre around the idea that our knowledge comes from those around us rather than independent study. This rings true in the simplest sense that even in independent study we are learning from writers that have come before us and got their knowledge from those before them. As a community we therefore create our own knowledge and it is important to remain active in that otherwise we fall behind. It is crucial that we ask ourselves the following questions in relation to our networks:
- 'What it is about.
- How it functions.
- What capability it has produced.' (2)
This is an important notion for me to take on board. We all find our place within a network and that is based on observing the current community and where we fit within it. With out this community we do not know where we sit and we rely on the 'heritage' to give our position meaning.
I have learnt a lot from looking outward to networking concepts. These theories have really inspired me. They are psychological and relate to human thought and feeling which I have always had great interest in understanding. I haven taken all these concepts on board and I will work to develop elements that have really stood out to me and I am positive that this will shape me into a confident and resourceful professional networker!
(1) Axelrod, R (1984) pages xi - xiv
(2) Middlesex University Reader 3 The Networked Professional
(3) Conversation with Paula Nottingham
(4) Crisp&Turner, 2007 pp266
(5) O'Connor & Rosenblood 1996
(6) Crotty, M (2005) pages 42-44
(7) Vaill 1996, p.42
(8) Driscoll 2000, p14-17
(9) Siemens, G (2004)
(10) Lave and Wenger 1991 pp. 98-100
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