BAPP Task 3b Theories relating to networking

The task 3b of the Module 1 of the BA (Hons) in Professional Practice at the Middlesex University consists based on Reader 3 on the Networked Professional, reflect critically on the concepts that are given and if possible bring in other concepts and perspectives to explore the value these concepts provide to you so you can understand your professional practice in a deeper way.

For me reading the Reader 3 of the BAPP Arts, Networked Professional, was a really interesting, because before that I already knew the importance of Networking and I have been doing since I started my professional career last year through different paths such as the Institutions that I have been working for, or Social Media. In this Reader we are first introduced with the term of Professional Network:

“A work related community held together by either close working affiliation or more distant but common work interests or needs’”

Middlesex University (2012) BAPP (Arts) Reader 3, Institute of Work Based Learning, London: Middlesex University

After having defined this key term, they introduced us the most important concepts related to them: Cooperation, Affiliation, Social Constructionism, Connectivism and Communities of Practice. These ideas are not only theories that we have to learn like parrots, but they are more like a starting point to get us introduced in this whole process of Networking. Here you will see these concepts described a bit more with some examples that I have found interesting to describe them.

Cooperation

It is a term that it is closely associated with Game Theory, a set of ideas that been developed mathematicians to solve problems in many areas such as sociology, economics or biology. One of the most important researchers in this fields is Robert Axelrod, in one of his key works, The Evolution of cooperation (1984) he established that:

“The importance of the notion of cooperation, and in particular, the benefits of cooperating fully with others, until you reach a point of maximum benefit, and then to ‘defect”

Axelrod, R. (1984) The evolution of cooperation. London: Penguin.

His theories are best exemplified at the game of  “Prisoner’s Dilemma” (That you can see a photo below). Game Theory is important due to it put his focus on the results of cooperation and the decisions to cooperate, or not. Axelrod argued for patterns and typical interactions so that they produce more effective results. A clear example of that is the “Prisoner’s Dilemma” however the durability of the “cooperate until maximum benefit produced then defect” suggests underlying and real patterns of behaviour.

http://truebra.in/?p=102

Affiliation

It is a concept in the field of social psychology, that tries to explain how humans enjoy and benefit from affiliations with others and the reasons why humans creating close relationships as a social result of the psychological processes that are happening in our brains. One of the main researchers of this concept is Crisp & Turner that hey established in his work, Essential social psychology (2007) that Affiliation is explained as:

“Social process that provides us with a network of support that will help us when we are in need”

 Crisp, J & Turner, R. (2007) Essential social psychology. London: Sage

Relating to our main theme of professional networking, this social psychological perspective of Affiliation provides us with a social, psychological and evolutionary concept. This suggests that we have an innate need to network professionally and personally, indeed in all human range activities.

Social Constructionism

"Social constructionism is a one of a set of related explanations about how meanings about the world are made"

Middlesex University (2012) BAPP (Arts) Reader 3, Institute of Work Based Learning, London: Middlesex University

This is the introduction of the concept at the Reader 3 of the BAPP. One of the most important principles of it that through the social interaction, humans create meanings of the world and their experiences that they have had of it. Social Constructionism emphasises on the larger social processes so therefore it is key to understand when we think and try to understand the term of networking. This theory is really useful in the industry of performing arts because a lot of the work is about making a decision or having an opinion of yourself, not just listening of what people say of think about you, therefore you have to be unique, you have to be different in order to have a voice in this industry, and Social Constructionism helps you to develop those skills.

Connectivism

Reading the extract Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age (2004) by G. Siemens was really interesting for me to understand better this term that I thought what it meant enough before reading this, however I was wrong there is much more things that I would have never expected.

“Connectivism is a theory about learning influenced by ideas about the organisation of learning and information with special reference to the spread of the Internet”

Middlesex University (2012) BAPP (Arts) Reader 3, Institute of Work Based Learning, London: Middlesex University

When it comes to the Professional Network this theory gives us an explanation about how this network both learn and provide the meaning to the humans so we can connect and learn through that.

Communities of Practice

This idea of Communities of Practice has been developed in the field of social science. It aims to explain learning as well as the process of engagement in a social relationship. One of the main researchers of this concept, Lave and Wegner, through their work Situated Learning. Legitimate peripheral participation (1991), they suggested that:

“Learning can derive from if learning situations of co-participation and the term ‘situated learning’ was coined”

Middlesex University (2012) BAPP (Arts) Reader 3, Institute of Work Based Learning, London: Middlesex University

In my opinion this is one of the most important concepts of Professional Networking, at least, for my field, dance and performing arts, due it is really important to create our own circles of contacts in our networks in order to developed better our work.

Having said and explored all of these concepts, also it is importance to mention the issue about the Ethical Considerations for Networking, due now networking is a very easy thing because of Web 2.0 technologies, therefore, now we need to focus on what we share, due to in the social media, we cannot post anything that we want too, we need to think carefully about it before we post anything, for example a photo that many people appeared on it, then we need to have the approval of them to post it, before we do so.

Finally I would like to say that reading and exploring all of those concepts has been quite an intriguing and interesting process, because like almost everyone I thought what networking meant and the importance of it before starting this task, however there is so much that I have learnt that I didn´t have any idea that could be related and included in it, therefore I highly recommend to everyone to explore these concepts more by yourself so you discover how much you can learn from them!

Gonzalo

Bibliography:

- Middlesex University (2012) BAPP (Arts) Reader 3, Institute of Work Based Learning, London: Middlesex University

- Axelrod, R. (1984) The evolution of cooperation. London: Penguin.

- Crisp, J & Turner, R. (2007) Essential social psychology. London: Sage

- Crotty. M. (2005) The foundations of social research: meaning and perspectives in the research process, London: Sage.

- Siemens, G. (2004) Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm (Accessed 14 October 2016)

- Lave, J. & Wenger, E. (1991) Situated Learning. Legitimate peripheral participation, Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press.