The Social Capital Game: Introducing Instrumental and Affective Social Networks

Social networks, social capital, networking

Provided ID numbers and a random selection of playing cards, students explore the formation and extraction of value from social networks as they make deals to accumulate high scoring combinations of cards. Students record the ID of each partner they negotiate with, and dyads may persist for as long as both parties wish. At the end of the game, the student(s) whose card combinations yield the highest score are rewarded, and the ID numbers recorded reveal each individual’s network structure and the overall network structure of the entire class. Debrief examines the emergent network structures, approaches to “networking” and negotiation.

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