Strategies for visualizing networks in community intervention. Case study of the "Ciudades ante las Drogas" program

• Main Author: Daniel Holgado Ramos
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona 2018-11-01
• Series: REDES: Revista Hispana para el Análisis de Redes Sociales
• Subjects: visualización; análisis de redes sociales; prevención comunitaria; ciudades ante las drogas
• Online Access: https://revistes.uab.cat/redes/article/view/775

<p class="Maintext">Visualization is an essential element in Social Network Analysis, both as a strategy to illustrate and communicate results and as a tool for theoretical and applied development. In this article we show an example of the application of visualization to analyse the relations between a group of coordinators of Ciudades ante las Drogas program in the province of Seville. To be an effective tool in Social Network Analysis, visualization requires: (a) the detailed description of the relational data and the context from which they are derived, (b) its use as an exploratory tool for the detection of variables of interest, (c) the adequate representation of attributes and structural indicators of actors and relationships, (d) the use of tools for grouping actors and the systematization of the relational structure among them, and (e) the appropriate combination of strategies for representing the status and position of actors and the relationships derived from them. In this case, visualization proves to be a suitable tool for the analysis of the context of the implementation of community prevention. It serves to explore data on exchange of information and prevention resources among program coordinators. In addition, it shows the role that individual and contextual variables such as the experience in charge of the program in the municipality, ownership and geographical location play in the structure of relationships between coordinators and therefore in the effectiveness of its implementation.</p>