TASK 3b - Theories relating to networking

Success, development and promotion are three very natural desires to ones professional practice, it is suggested in reader three that these factors can be present in ones career when you effectively invest in your professional network, thus creating, "a work related community" (Reader 3, 2011). Is networking an activity one has to consciously engage in? Are we automatically networking within our practice without being aware of it? If so, does having an awareness of your professional network bring benefits? I wish to explore the world of professional networking and then related it back to my practice, starting with the five key concepts of professional networking given to me in reader three, I want to begin my critical reflections with what the theorists have to say.


You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours, a networking theory is presented to me as Cooperation, an idea that all parties are in the relationship for a known common reason and, "cooperate till maximum benefit then defect"(Reader 3, 2011). Robert Axelrod is strongly associated with this theory, describing it as strategic interaction, his study showed, "how the highly successful strategies managed to elicit cooperation, and was then able to prove several theorems about the stability of TIT FOR TAT" (Alexrod, 2012).  This is something I now realise I would call a 'working relationship', there  is a mutual understanding that each party knows the rules of the game (situation) and can part when their goal is achieved. It's this very 'Cooperative' networker that I have always struggled with, I find it could take the passion out of your practice and suddenly ones art becomes an means to an end. I also feel it would be hard to trust the motives of your network, but then is everyone really in my network because they want something from me? I'm not sure I want to know the truth of the answer to that question. However it does create a clean and clear professional presence of the practitioner, I explored my professional image in my network and how social networking can expose my personal life in my post titled, TASK 3a - Current networks. Cooperation would indeed help me to achieve the professional profile I desire, but my practice is about a passion for people and performance, I'm not sure this slightly soulless and sterile networking concept is a realistic one for me.  


It came as no surprise that 'Affiliation' was an important networking concept, I had written about my friends and relationships in relation to my current network in the previous task, 
                          Friends and colleagues - For me the most important. This is 
                          where the golden network is, you can always rely on a friend 
                          for information, support or work. This is where experience plays 
                          a big hand in my network, every job I do I take a handful of great 
                          people with me... In my eyes the most valuable networking tool 
                          available to me (Ahmet, 2012). 
The presence of the concept of affiliation is clearly visible in my current network, a theory that states physiological evolution leads us to the idea that a practitioner has a natural tendency to, "form close relationships to survive... By providing a network of support that helps us when we are in need" (Crisp et al, 2007). I recognise this concept and seem quite confident in using it as a means to network, thus progressing and promoting my practice. I feel it is this concept that introduces the issue that arises from my work being a passion, causing the personal and professional aspects of my practice to be undefined. Unlike 'Cooperation' there is no defect, these affiliations are ongoing and with close relationships there can be problems, such as, "an awful atmosphere and a bad work environment" (Ahmet, A). Still there is no denying that in a personable industry such as the theatre arts in education, networking with close friends seems inevitable.


'Social Constructionism', a difficult concept to understand and one I had to do some reflection and additional reading on (Crotty, 1998). The theory can be found as part of a group of explanations behind the way people obtain the definitions and meanings of things in life. It's relevance to my practice is that knowledge or codes of conducts within my practice may well be objectively out there in my work, but how we come to understand things, "through our interaction, we can make meanings, which might be the values we attribute to a particular network" (Reader 3, 2011). This follows on from what Michael Crotty explains as , "Functioning as 'a publicly available inteligibility', these places are the source of the interpretive strategies where by we construct meaning" (Crotty, 1998) . I have already displayed the notion of leaning on my network, to understand an aspect of my network in my blog post about twitter , here I rely on a friend to provide me with a clearer explanation of using twitter as a networking tool. I know what twitter is, but for me to understand using it within my practice, I would need to rely on the opinions of my network to construct the meaning toward the idea. This is an important part of my learning, if I'm to convert my interaction within my network to the my meanings of things in the world, surely the better quality of network interaction, the better the quality of understanding I will come to. If the very definitions of knowledge within my practice is reliant on my network, it would suggest an importance to not only maintain existing contacts, but to create constant new ones, so as to keep developing and updating ones meaning of the world.


The principal of 'I store my knowledge in my friends', leads me to the concept of 'Connectivism'. A theory that claims that, "learning can reside outside of ourselves, allowing learners to remain current in their field through their connections" (Siemans 2004). The idea is that the knowledge isn't the fore most important aspect of the learning, the emphasis is more on the capacity to connect with the experience of others, thus providing a kind of surrogacy of knowledge to that of which you lack experience of. Earlier on in module one (blog post, TASK 1b), I had looked at Web 2.0, exploring how it has reveutionised communication in the world and the relevance in this change to practice in the blog, Summary of part 1. My learning in part 1 and the concept of Connectivism brings me to the understanding that through technology connections, I am able to renew and update my knowledge. With this interaction and sharing of knowledge I can build and maintain my network. This theory gives me a sense of upgrading and progressing my network to one of the modern day, it enables me to be on the leading edge of my knowledge and rather than hear about a new idea, I can be apart of it,  "It's not just about who you know in my industry anymore, its about who are you connecting to, using a Web 2.0" (Ahmet, 2012).


Reader three provides me with the final concept of 'Communities of Practice', "sustained engagement within our communities of practice produce learning... a social learning developed within and between the members" (Reader 3, 2011). The idea that learning doesn't solely happen in a lecture or in training, that the very engagement with people in my industry brings me knowledge and new ideas, thus becoming a useful networking concept. Again the ethos of ever-growing and developing knowledge appears, but unlike 'Connectivism', it's not solely on the connection to the network, but rather the social involvement can bring a sense of belonging to a set of ideas within my practice. Wenger (2000) helps me understand the idea of ownership this community brings with the three 'Modes of belonging', engagment, imagination and allighnment. He explains that "through engaging and talking... constructing images of ourselves and the world... and making sure our activities are sufficiently aligned with other processes" (Wenger 2000), we can benefit from being apart of this social learning system. This concept is a very important finding and could act as the key to my future networks, the advice of, "being a bit brave and inquiring (there is that word again) beyond our current borders to new ones that fit our future needs" (Nottingham, 2012), was given by my tutor, Dr Paula Nottingham. I now realise, that in order for me to work toward my future network, I would need to start revelling in the communities of my future practice. Whilst observing a drama teacher in a school, my blog post and journal entry supports this realisation, "it felt really good to check in and be apart of my future fellow practitioners, I feel inspired by people who share the same ideas" Ahmet, A (2012). I wish to be apart of the community I want to practice in. 

 In an attempt to satisfy my critical curiosity and not take anything on face value, my attention takes me firstly to what other theories there are that relate to the networked professional. Reader three has given me five individual concepts, that break down the networking practitioner. I now seek a sense of an overview on professional networking as a whole. Eason and Krause's article (2001) acts a guide to professional networking, explaining that, "networking is more than working through a maze of contacts... It's a process that needs to be approached strategically" (Eason et al, 2001). The article states that the fundamentals of networking is to focus on the quality of the connection, rather than the quantity, by building rapports and following networking ethics. In my blog on the 3rd campus session, the comments below gave a good point for discussion, introducing the idea of giving back to your network. The presence of this idea was also apparent in the article, claiming that in order to gain from a connection, ask yourself what you can contribute in return? There is a theme of "tit for tat' here, perhaps being open to 'Cooperation' as a networking concept could be useful to me. Give to receive, this is important to my learning and something that I will explore, not only to make those connections, but improve their quality. 


In a second notion to challenge and play around with the concepts, I have decided to look no further than my current network. I now take the theories behind professional networking and seek to find their presence within my professional network. I have devised a mini survey that I emailed to three individual practitioners, all in the same field of practitioner and teacher  as I am (Appendix 1). The questions point toward the networking concepts without actually revealing them, this is important as I wanted to find the relevance to what reader three was telling me in the survey answers, as appose to probing the practitioners for the right answer. The questionnaire affirmed that professional networking is definitely something they all engage in and like I found, 'Cooperation' seemed to have a poor presences in their practice and supports my view of it being an unrealistic one. Each practitioner showed an involvement in the concept on 'Affiliation' and sometimes tended to, "absorb the opinions of others" (Appendix 1, Barnbrook), to socially construct the meaning of something. They all had positive understandings towards Connectivism and engaging in a Community of Practice provided,  "a good debating session that will only help to engage you further and teach you new things" (Appendix 1, Francis).


In conclusion, my awareness of these networking concepts will give me the very food I need to grow my current network and move toward a future network. As I use this course as a vehicle of professional change, it seems relevant to have explored the means in which to do this. Some of these concepts are most valuable, some not so accessible, but still it is not so much about learning how to network. This has been about understanding professional networking and having an awareness of the benefits behind it. It has given me a sense of command over my network, by analysing and conceptualsing it , I can use my network as a tool for success, development and promotion within my practice.



References:

Reader 3, 2011. The networked Professional. Middlesex University.

Alexrod, R. 2012,  Launching "the evolution of cooperation". Journal of theoretical biology. [online] Available from: http://RT5VX6NA7P.search.serialssolutions.com?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Launching+%E2%80%9CThe+Evolution+of+Cooperation&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Theoretical+Biology&rft.au=Axelrod%2C+Robert&rft.date=2011-04-01&rft.issn=0022-5193&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016%2Fj.jtbi.2011.04.015&rft.externalDBID=n%2Fa&rft.externalDocID=10_1016_j_jtbi_2011_04_015 [accessed 23 March 2012].

Crisp, J & Turner, R. 2007, Essential social phycology. London: Sage


Crotty, M. 1998. The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the Research Process. Australia: Alan & Unwin.  


Wenger, E. 2000. Communities of Practice and Social Learning Systems. [online] Available from: http://org.sagepub.com/content/7/2/225.full.pdf+html [accessed 1 April 2012].


Eason, J & Krause B. 200. Networking: IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, vol. 43, no. 4, pp. 138-141. [online] Availible from: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=951568 [accessed 2 April 2012].


Siemens, G. 2004. Connectivism: A learning theory from the digital age. Reader 3, 2011. The networked professional. Middlesex University.


Ahmet, A. 2012, Ahmet Ahmet's Blog. [online] Available from: http://mrahmet.blogspot.co.uk/ [accessed 1 April 2012].


Ahmet, A. 2012, My BAPP Journal. 

Bibliography:

Reader 3, 2011. The networked Professional. Middlesex University.

Alexrod, R. 2012,  Launching "the evolution of cooperation". Journal of theoretical biology. [online] Available from: http://RT5VX6NA7P.search.serialssolutions.com?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Launching+%E2%80%9CThe+Evolution+of+Cooperation&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Theoretical+Biology&rft.au=Axelrod%2C+Robert&rft.date=2011-04-01&rft.issn=0022-5193&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016%2Fj.jtbi.2011.04.015&rft.externalDBID=n%2Fa&rft.externalDocID=10_1016_j_jtbi_2011_04_015 [accessed 23 March 2012].


Crotty, M. 1998 (pp 42-57). The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the Research Process. Australia: Alan & Unwin.  

Wenger, E. 2000. Communities of Practice and Social Learning Systems. [online] Available from: http://org.sagepub.com/content/7/2/225.full.pdf+html [accessed 1 April 2012].


Eason, J & Krause B. 200. Networking: IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, vol. 43, no. 4, pp. 138-141. [online] Availible from: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=951568 [accessed 2 April 2012].

Appendices:

Appendix 1: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EqXDd7NRd2XIXK1qr3A-EoUrggB-GA0FPndY_KVjyWs/edit