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| Position Generator Method× | Ego Network Analysis× | |
|---|---|---|
| Field≠ | Sociology | Network analysis |
| Family | Process / pipeline | Process / pipeline |
| Year of origin≠ | 2001 | 1992 (Burt); foundational measurement formalised by Marsden 2002 |
| Originator≠ | Nan Lin & colleagues | Ronald S. Burt (structural holes framework); Peter V. Marsden (egocentric measures) |
| Type≠ | Survey instrument for measuring accessed social capital | Descriptive / relational network analysis |
| Seminal source≠ | Lin, N. (2001). Social Capital: A Theory of Social Structure and Action. Cambridge University Press. ISBN: 978-0-521-52167-3 | Burt, R.S. (1992). Structural Holes: The Social Structure of Competition. Harvard University Press. ISBN: 9780674843714 |
| Aliases≠ | position generator, Lin position generator, accessed social capital instrument, occupational position generator | personal network analysis, egocentric network analysis, Ego Ağı Analizi (Personal Network Analysis) |
| Related≠ | 5 | 6 |
| Summary≠ | The position generator, developed by Nan Lin and colleagues, is a survey instrument for measuring an individual's social capital — the resources embedded in their personal network. Respondents are presented with a sample of occupations spanning the prestige hierarchy and asked, for each, whether they know anyone in that job. From these answers, the method derives indicators such as the number of positions accessed (extensity), the highest-prestige position reachable (upper reachability), and the range of prestige spanned, summarizing the volume and diversity of resources a person can mobilize through their contacts. | Ego network analysis examines the personal network of a focal individual — the ego — by mapping their direct contacts (alters) and the ties those contacts share with one another. Formalised through Ronald Burt's structural holes framework (1992) and Marsden's egocentric measurement approach (2002), the method produces ego-level indicators such as network size, density, constraint, and brokerage role that reveal how each individual's social position shapes their access to information, resources, and influence. |
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