Connectivity

Connectivity as a research design term has its origins in mathematical graph theory referring to whether the vertices (nodes or people) of a graph are reachable to one another through direct and indirect ties. The transition of the meaning of connectivity from purely mathematical description to relationships defined mathematically has been most manifest in the field of social network analysis. Although social network analysis originated in the empirical observations of bees, the field now almost exclusively focuses on the relations between humans as influenced by their positionality within institutions as well as those that they interact and are in contact with in other everyday life situations.

The social network view of human connectivity is grounded in third-person perspectives, which is often captured by surveys with questions ...