Social network analysis and educational equity

Much social network research in education is oriented implicitly towards greater educational equity as a goal. In recent years, scholars have also started to use the term 'critical social network analysis' to highlight the role of power in network studies. However, the term has been used in different ways, and social network studies employ varying conceptions of equity. Therefore, identifying and measuring equity in terms of network elements may look quite different across the discrete types of studies using social network methods. To bring clarity and coherence to how equity is defined in education-focused studies using social network methods, the chapter illustrates how several common types of social network studies define equity and outlines the network characteristics that could be used to measure equity for each type. Finally, we synthesize the definitions of critical network analysis and outline the possibilities for network studies of educational equity that illustrate how power dynamics can more consistently be taken into account.