Reading an article published on science daily about University of Pennsylvania research by Professor Damon Centrola, I was fascinated to learn so much on how characteristics contribute to the formation of social networks, whilst challenging existing theories from 1984.
I imagine that community engagement frameworks build on these theories as part of the planning and mapping preparation required ahead of engagement activity – identify the common subject, establish existing audiences, work with those existing groups to build on wider interested audience and proactively encourage participation.
As an online facilitator, I found this research useful to assist how to identify common subjects, where to promote those discussions to encourage participation, and how to improve my management skills for those conversations and sub groups to organically develop without having to force them. If you have to force the creation of a social network then you have failed before you started.
Original source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150622182032.htm