Workshop on Social Theory, Trust, Social
Networks, and Social Capital II
National Chengchi University – NCCU
April 2011
Werner Raub
Department of Sociology/ICS
Utrecht University
The Netherlands
Some autobiography
• PhD in sociology 1984
• Professor of Sociology at Utrecht University
• Senior Research Fellow, Nuffield College, University of
Oxford
• Research: theoretical sociology, organization theory,
economic sociology, mathematical sociology, gametheoretic models in the social sciences, experiments
and the use of complementary research designs in the
social sciences, sociological applications of
neuroscience, philosophy (logic, moral philosophy, and
philosophy of science)
• Teaching: theoretical sociology, social theory and
history of social thought, organization theory and
economic sociology, mathematical models in the social
sciences, philosophy of the social sciences
• Website: http://staff.fss.uu.nl/wraub
• Email: w.raub@uu.nl
1
My institutions
• Department of Sociology, Utrecht University /
Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and
Methodology (ICS)
www.uu.nl/sbs/ics (Department)
http://www.ics-graduateschool.nl/ (ICS, national
research school)
• The Department has been evaluated as the best
research group in Sociology in the Netherland in
consecutive external research evaluations
www.qanu.nl/comasy/uploadedfiles/Sociology_2008_d
efinitief.pdf
• The Department maintains the best research master’s
program in the Netherlands across all social and
behavioral sciences:
Sociology and Social Research
www.uu.nl/programmes/sasr
• The Department and the ICS maintain a PhD program
with an outstanding international reputation
• Utrecht University ranks 50th in the 2010 Shanghai
Academic Ranking of World Universities (11th in Europe,
1st in the Netherlands)
http://www.arwu.org/ARWU2010.jsp
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Format of the workshop
• 3 days, 4 sessions per day
• Two types of sessions
• Lectures on two topics: (1) theoretical
tools for research on trust, social
networks, and social capital; (2) examples
of my own research on trust, social
networks, and social capital
• Presentations and discussions of papers by
the workshop participants
5
Aims of the workshop
• Overview of basic features of problem-driven
and systematic (deductive) theory
construction, model building, and
explanation in social science, including
macro- and micro-features of explanatory
models as well as macro-micro-macro
transitions
• Present problem-driven and systematic
theory construction and model building on
trust, social networks, and social capitals;
testable hypotheses; empirical research in
this field
7
Program: Day 1 (Monday)
• Introduction to the workshop and a
refresher on theory and explanation in
sociology
• Micro-macro links in sociology
• Using complementary research designs:
the example of effects of social
embeddedness on trust and cooperation
• One session with presentations and
discussions of papers by workshop
participants
6
Program: Day 2 (Tuesday)
• A crash course in game theory
• Game-theoretic models for effects of
social embeddedness on trust and
cooperation
• Two sessions with presentations and
discussions of papers by workshop
participants
6
Program: Day 3 (Thursday)
• An experiment on trust in triads
• Trust and testosterone
• Two sessions with presentations and
discussions of papers by workshop
participants
• Concluding remarks on the workshop
6
Additions to the program
(time permitting)
• Information on the Department of
Sociology of Utrecht University and the
Interuniversity Center for Social Science
Theory and Methodology (ICS), including
graduate programs offered
• How to select a research problem for a
paper and the process of submitting a
paper to a journal, reacting to reviews,
and preparing a revised version for
resubmission.
6
How to make this most effective for
yourself?
• Prepare materials and actively participate
in discussions
• Do not hesitate to come forward if you
have some relevant ideas that you would
like to present
8
Materials for the workshop
• Readings and reading guides (see
workshop website)
• Slides of the presentations will be made
available via Chin-Yen Tang
Acknowledgments
• For assisting in setting up this workshop
and preparing the workshop materials:
• Ray-May Hsung, Chin-Yen Tang,
Vincent Buskens, Henk Flap, Beate
Völker
• My own colleagues and collaborators:
• Ronald Batenburg, Vincent Buskens,
Jack van Honk, Nynke van Miltenburg,
Gerrit Rooks, Robert Selten, Chris
Snijders, Frits Tazelaar, Joris van der
Veer, Jeroen Weesie
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ENJOY!
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