Douglas R. White

Picture of Douglas R. White
Professor, Anthropology
School of Social Sciences
Graduate Director, Social Networks
School of Social Sciences
PH.D., Minnesota, 1969
Phone: (949) 824-5893, 8495
Fax: (949) 824-4717
Email: drwhite@uci.edu
University of California, Irvine
3544 Gateway Building SBSG
4169 Social Science Plaza A
School of Social Science, UC Irvine
Mail Code: 5100
Irvine, CA 92697
Research Interests
Computational social science, mathematical anthropology, social networks, longitudinal analysis, development and social change, social simulation and game theory (
Academic Distinctions
Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung (Distinguished Senior Social Scientist)
Research Abstract
I am interested in how societies, cultures, social roles and historical agents of change evolve dynamically out of multiple networks of social action. To what extent do diffuse "weak-tie" structures of matrimonial and kinship networks, for example, operate to construct social class, ethnicity, and the particular social structures, gender roles, social cognition, etc., of local communities embedded in a larger political economy? How does the network structure of the world political economy engender the opportunity and constraint structures of more localized social activity? I work with several types of comparative data with longitudinal time depth (kinship and marriage networks; demographic
baseline studies; global political events and economic exchange). Recent publications include:
Publications
1999. Controlled Simulation of Marriage Systems Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation vol. 2, no. 3
1997. Class, Property and Structural Endogamy: Visualizing Networked Histories (Lilyan Brudner & drw).
Theory and Society 25
:161-208.
1992. Structure and Dynamics of the Global Economy: Network Analysis of International Trade 1965-1980. (first author David Smith). Social Forces 70:857-94.
1998. Kinship, Networks and Exchange Eds. Thomas Schweizer, drw. Cambridge University Press.
1989. Research Methods in Social Network Analysis Eds. L.C.Freeman, drw, A.K. Romney. Transaction Press.
Professional Societies
President 1992-1993: Social Science Computing Association.
International Network for Social Network Analysis
Graduate Programs
Mathematical Behavioral Science
Research Centers
Institute for Mathematical Behavioral Sciences
Last updated
08/06/2011