Information Exchange in Social Networks: Evidence from Moslem Nonprofits

Abstract: Social network theory has been used to formalize social relationships and (using what is called “graph theory") to chart connections between actors and institutions. We use these techniques to map relations among educational, political, religious, and charitable institutions in the Muslim community in greater Raleigh. We then introduce an intervention—a series of community-wide meetings that facilitate new connections between institutions that previously were not in communication—and assess both the durability of those new relationships and the broader impact on the network of institutional relationships across the community.