austraLasia #3427
The small world network of EAO Novitiates
EAO: May 8, 2014 -- The EAO Regional, Fr Klement, believes he has hit upon a helpful insight from the 'small-world' hypothesis - as simple as putting EAO novitiates (and novices) in touch with each other. As he put it in a recent email: "my intuition is to LINK together the same works in EAO, like
- novitiates
- formation houses
- volunteers...
Apparently it is the right idea and daily brings some new 'friends'..."
So let's take a look at this phenomenon in terms of the first group he is endeavouring to link - novitiates around the Region.
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A small-world network is a type of mathematical graph in which most nodes are not neighbours of one another, but most nodes can be reached from every other.
In a seminal 1973 research paper, M.S. Granovetter (Chicago) argued that weak ties in any social network (one’s acquaintances) are more important for information dissemination than strong ties (one’s close friends, associates). Granovetter’s argument suggests that strong ties cover densely knitted networks, where a ‘friend of my friend is also my friend’. On the other hand, weak ties are much less transitive, and so they are more likely to be bridges: crucial ties that interconnect different subgroups in the social network. This implies that information from a strong tie is likely to be very similar to the information one already has. But weak ties are more likely to open up information sources very different from one’s own.
Apply this to novices - the 'strong ties' are in the novitiate itself. The 'weak ties' are the links between novices in one novitiate and novices in another. And so on, as one extends the argument to the loosely linked provinces, vice provinces and delegations that make up EAO.
Whether the hypothesis is correct or not, it is a workable insight, which VK puts in pretty much simple terms, writing to novice masters around the Region:
"After visiting the first novitiate as a 'recycled' Regional Councillor, I feel that a possible 'network' of prayers - photos - sharing among the 9 novitiates of our EAO region might be a good help for all.
Possible advantages:
1. Allow new Salesians to get a feel for the 'world-wide Salesian community' (C. 59)
2. Help to open our heart and mind to the different expressions of the Salesian Charism, sharing the rich charismatic experience among our Novitiates.
3. Since our 76 novices(?!) are scattered and far from each other in the Region, any form of sharing will lift up our spirit!
4. Might arouse some creative form of sharing so much needed in our wide East Asia Oceania Region."
He then offers email addresses of novice masters around the region if someone should want to be in touch.
Novice Master Prov Location N
Taisali Leuluai AUL Fiji - Suva 2
(Joseph Ng - former) CIN (FIS - Cebu)
FIN
Roneldo Vilbar FIS Cebu - Lawaan 12
Michael Lap GIA Tokyo-Chofu 2
Virgilio Da Silva ITM Timor -Fatumaca 17
Yosep Ola Suba ITM Indones - Sumba 7
Chong John, Jae Jun KOR Neri 5
Bosco Zeya Aung MYM Anikasan 4
(preparing for 2015) PNG SI (Port Moresby)
Anthony Boonlert Paneethatayasai THA Sampran 0
Giuse Nguyen Dinh Phuc VIE HCM-Ba Thon 29
Total 9 76
These novitiates tend to start and finish at different times from one another - so for example the 12 in the combined CIN-FIN-FIS novitiate in Cebu have just made their first profession (5 from FIn, 6 from FIS and 1 from CIN). Whereas the 2 in Fiji (1 from Australia, 1 from Fiji) only began their novitiate on 1 February this year.
The small world network of EAO Novitiates
- novitiates
- formation houses
- volunteers...
Apparently it is the right idea and daily brings some new 'friends'..."
So let's take a look at this phenomenon in terms of the first group he is endeavouring to link - novitiates around the Region.
--------------
A small-world network is a type of mathematical graph in which most nodes are not neighbours of one another, but most nodes can be reached from every other.
In a seminal 1973 research paper, M.S. Granovetter (Chicago) argued that weak ties in any social network (one’s acquaintances) are more important for information dissemination than strong ties (one’s close friends, associates). Granovetter’s argument suggests that strong ties cover densely knitted networks, where a ‘friend of my friend is also my friend’. On the other hand, weak ties are much less transitive, and so they are more likely to be bridges: crucial ties that interconnect different subgroups in the social network. This implies that information from a strong tie is likely to be very similar to the information one already has. But weak ties are more likely to open up information sources very different from one’s own.
Apply this to novices - the 'strong ties' are in the novitiate itself. The 'weak ties' are the links between novices in one novitiate and novices in another. And so on, as one extends the argument to the loosely linked provinces, vice provinces and delegations that make up EAO.
Whether the hypothesis is correct or not, it is a workable insight, which VK puts in pretty much simple terms, writing to novice masters around the Region:
"After visiting the first novitiate as a 'recycled' Regional Councillor, I feel that a possible 'network' of prayers - photos - sharing among the 9 novitiates of our EAO region might be a good help for all.
Possible advantages:
1. Allow new Salesians to get a feel for the 'world-wide Salesian community' (C. 59)
2. Help to open our heart and mind to the different expressions of the Salesian Charism, sharing the rich charismatic experience among our Novitiates.
3. Since our 76 novices(?!) are scattered and far from each other in the Region, any form of sharing will lift up our spirit!
4. Might arouse some creative form of sharing so much needed in our wide East Asia Oceania Region."
He then offers email addresses of novice masters around the region if someone should want to be in touch.
Some details on EAO Novitiates and novices as of May 2014
Novice Master Prov Location N
Taisali Leuluai AUL Fiji - Suva 2
(Joseph Ng - former) CIN (FIS - Cebu)
FIN
Roneldo Vilbar FIS Cebu - Lawaan 12
Michael Lap GIA Tokyo-Chofu 2
Virgilio Da Silva ITM Timor -Fatumaca 17
Yosep Ola Suba ITM Indones - Sumba 7
Chong John, Jae Jun KOR Neri 5
Bosco Zeya Aung MYM Anikasan 4
(preparing for 2015) PNG SI (Port Moresby)
Anthony Boonlert Paneethatayasai THA Sampran 0
Giuse Nguyen Dinh Phuc VIE HCM-Ba Thon 29
Total 9 76
These novitiates tend to start and finish at different times from one another - so for example the 12 in the combined CIN-FIN-FIS novitiate in Cebu have just made their first profession (5 from FIn, 6 from FIS and 1 from CIN). Whereas the 2 in Fiji (1 from Australia, 1 from Fiji) only began their novitiate on 1 February this year.
