3a and 3b- developing current networks based on the various concepts

I feel like I am just starting to become more aware of my current networks and what they consist of. I have looked at how they stand at the moment and after looking more closely at the various concepts I would like to look at how I can improve them.

There seems to be an ever increasing number of tools available to us to engage in professional networks. Firstly there is the art of talking to people either face to face or on the phone and secondly there is now the increasing use of technology. I have realised that now I mainly use e mail for communication and am often contacted via e mail by an employer. For example, the other day I received an e mail from someone who owns an after school club company asking if I was able to do some street dance classes at a school in the area and of course I accepted the job offer. I have realised that this is a network I am going to work to maintain by keeping in contact with the owner as this could lead to more teaching work. For me this seemed to relate to the theory of connectivism and that our networks have changed and developed due to the expansion of technology. It involves the theory that there are certain nodes within our network which are the main points that provide information, communication and opportunities. For me, one of these nodes is e mail. Without this technology I would not be able to communicate so easily with as many people as I do at the moment. I probably would not have been contacted by this company so would not have gone on to meet the other people involved and the students which could lead to a further expansion of my networks. When researching connectivism, this helped my understanding;

‘Over the last twenty years, technology has reorganized how we live, how we communicate, and how we learn. Learning needs and theories that describe learning principles and processes should be reflective of underlying social environments.’ (Siemens 2004)

It can be seen that with the development of technology there are now more nodes available to us. These nodes are completely different to those of previous generations who did not have the technological luxuries that we have now. The theory also reiterates that there are so many more ways available to us to help us network due to technology. Everything is much faster and we are able to find out about people and jobs at the click of a button. This helps us to create, develop and maintain our networks and connect with more people and information than was previously possible.

There are also many other tools such as casting sites, facebook and the contacts book which all help us expand and maintain our networks. They help me find out names of important people such as casting directors and it is also easier to try and get in contact with them. Things like facebook also help to remind people in the industry that you are still there and allow us to create our own reputation for others to see.

Social skills help to develop a professional network. It seems that it may be beneficial to sometimes blend the barriers between personal and professional networks. Often, the people that go on to get another job are the people who went out for coffee with the choreographer after the rehearsal and became ‘friends’ with them. This is a skill which helps to maintain a network as you would be at the forefront of the choreographers mind when they are casting for their next job. This seems to be very important now and it is people who expand their networks like this that get more work. I would really like to be better at this and I think it is something I need to work on as sometimes I find it hard to mix personal and professional networks as you are always taught that there are professional barriers between ‘teachers and students’ and a certain hierarchy you have to respect. However, I now realise that we are adults and you can still observe this hierarchy and maintain respect but still be friendly on a social level.

When I was reflecting on my networks I realised that people have varying motives for wanting to be in the network. There are so many potential outcomes of being part of a network and the benefits are different for everyone. This relates to the notion of cooperation and the possible benefits of cooperating with others. When researching Axelrod I came across a question he posed which was ‘How can cooperation emerge in a world of egoists without central authority?’ (Axelrod 1992). This led me to consider whether everyone in my network was only interested in being part of the network to get benefits for themselves. I think that the original motive for wanting to network with someone is probably based on a selfish desire but once you begin to affiliate with that person and get to know them I think most people are genuinely willing to help. Obviously, there is always the possibility that if you help someone they will help you but I don’t think this is the first thing on everyone’s mind when they give you a piece of advice or put you in contact with someone else who may be able to help.

For me, an example of Axelrod’s notion of cooperation in my network is when I went to the gym to do an exercise class. I had no other desire apart from to do an hour’s exercise but I ended up talking to the teacher at the end of the class. She was also a dancer so we had a common interest and she took my number. She was giving me information on the best place to get my exercise to music qualification as I said it was something I was interested in. The next week I got a text from her saying she was going on holiday and couldn’t get cover for some of her classes and was in desperate need of someone to do the Sunday classes otherwise she had to cancel them. Of course I said yes and after doing the classes I was sure I wanted to get the qualification. This new network was beneficial for me as I got paid work, a useful experience, and a chance to network with the manager of the club who has now asked me back to teach other classes. It was also beneficial for her as she didn’t have to cancel her classes and upset the clients and she is now going away on a yoga course as she knows I can cover her and she trusts I will do a good class. There is also a mutual benefit in that we are now friends! This shows that cooperation in a network is beneficial for all participants.  If I hadn’t made an effort to network with her, I would have lost out on an experience and paid work. I don’t think that maximum benefit from cooperation has been reached yet and I think we can help each other more in the future on a personal and professional level.

This led me on to consider the notion of affiliation which I also think is linked to the concept of communities of practice. Affiliation describes our psychological need to interact with other people who can help us. It is said to vary between individuals depending on their personality traits, culture and situation at the time. I don’t think that I belong to either extreme- introvert or extrovert. I think I change between the two depending on where I am and who I am with. This apparently alters the degree to which I want to affiliate with others. I agree with this theory as generally the people I know who are ‘extrovert’ seem to know so many people and have incredibly large networks and it is often the more ‘introverted’ people who only seem to affiliate with a few people who they know well and don’t feel the need to meet new people all the time. I think I am somewhere in the middle. I think my networks are quite developed but I have moments of shyness where I get scared to talk to new people depending on what mood I am in. Perhaps if I was able to eliminate this I would be able to expand my networks even further.

This seems to relate to the notion of communities of practice. This involves a group of people with a common interest or situation. By thinking of a network as being part of a community gives a greater sense of belonging.

‘Communities of practice have been around for as long as human beings have learned together. At home, at work, at school, in our hobbies, we all belong to communities of practice, a number of them usually. In some we are core members. In many we are merely peripheral. And we travel through numerous communities over the course of our lives.’ (Wenger 2006)

I really like this theory as it makes the networks seem secure by highlighting common ground between members. People in the same network always have something in common otherwise they would not be able to benefit and help each other in their chosen field. However, sometimes having too many things in common could lead to the breakdown of a network as it creates competition between people. Obviously it depends on the industry and the situation but especially in the dance world there is a lot of competition. While everyone may share the same interest (dance) if there is a casting call for a tall girl with dark hair, a girl who matches this description probably won’t tell her friend who also matches the description. However if there was a casting for a short girl with blonde hair, the girl might tell another friend who matches this description as she herself would not be appropriate for it. So if you have too much in common with someone in your network you will be direct competition for that person. Therefore a community can give a sense of belonging but possibly also lead to rivalry. However, everyone has to belong to a community in order to have support.

It seems that networks are an essential part of our professional practice and life as a whole. Without networks we would have no communication, interaction or sources of communication. We develop our own nodes which lead us on different paths. Our paths are determined by our networks and people we meet. Good networking skills can lead to long lasting relationships and careers. The concepts of networks include; cooperation, affiliation, social constructionism, connectivism and communities of practice. While they all describe networks in different ways they all maintain that a network is formed by a common interest or situation between people and in order to benefit from the network you have to cooperate with it. As humans we need to affiliate with people and even though this can vary between individuals it is a common need. We can connect with people through various methods, the most popular at the moment being the internet and social networking sites. The development of technology had made it easier for us to network with others and in turn develop our professional practice. Networks need to be created, developed and maintained.

References:

Axelrod, R, 1992, ‘citation classic commentary’ University of Michigan, available from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm (accessed 16th November 2010)

Siemens, G, 2004, ‘Connectivism-a learning theory for the digital age’ available from http://www.cscs.umich.edu/Software/CC/ECHome/ECCitationClassic.html (accessed 16th November 2010)

Wenger, E, 2006, ‘communities of practice- a brief introduction’ available from http://www.ewenger.com/theory/ (accessed 16^th November 2010)