Friday, September 19, 2014

SNA All-Star: Ithiel de Sola Pool

Ithiel de Sola Pool (October 26, 1917 - March 11, 1984) was one of the pioneers in the field of social sciences and communications in the twentieth century. His major contribution to the field of social network analysis includes his study and analysis of contact networks and separation between individuals in a network. This work ultimately lead to the development of the concept of 'Six degrees of separation' many years later. He also pioneered the study of technological developments in communication and the study of communication systems. He was one of the main commentators on the socio-political effects of communication, and his work has contributed greatly to the study of human behavior through computerized programs. He argued that the various modes of modern communication were integrating into a single system.

Pool's major academic appointments included those with Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he co-founded the MIT Political Science Department. He also served as a member of the Council of Foreign Relations where he advised the US government.

Pool has produced many scholarly works, both individually and in collaboration with co-authors. Political scientists Harold D Lasswell and Robert C. North were two of his major collaborators. Some of his major works are: Politics in a Wired Nation, The Small World, and Technologies of Freedom.

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