Relations-In-Process: In Honour of François Depelteau

• Main Author: Nick Crossley
• Format: Article
• Language: Catalan
• Published: Universitat Oberta de Catalunya 2020-07-01
• Series: Digithum
• Subjects: social relations; process; networks; relational sociology; network dynamics
• Online Access: https://raco.cat/index.php/Digithum/article/view/374139

In this paper, reflecting the twin interests of François Dépelteau, I draw together the themes of ‘relationality’ and ‘process’. Having argued that the concept of ‘relations’ is central to sociology (and a fortiori ‘relational’ sociology), I discuss some of the problems associated with the concept. In this context I propose a processual conception. A social relation, I argue, is the ‘state of play’ in an interaction history between two actors and, as such, is always ‘in process’. Relations do not exist in isolation, however. They concatenate in complex networks, which are themselves always ‘in process’. The later sections of the paper discuss such networks and the mechanisms which drive their evolution across time.