Martins, P.H. 2009. Redes Sociales: Un nuevo paradigma en el horizonte sociológico. Cinta moebio 35: 88-109

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Social Networks: A new paradigm in the sociological horizon

Dr. Paulo Henrique Martins (pahem@terra.com.br) Departamento de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Federal de Pernambuco (Recife, Brasil).

Abstract

The main objective of this essay is that the emergence of the new social movement paradigm is verified by the growing force of the idea of social network inside social sciences. However, I understand that the wider recognition of this new paradigm is blocked for the presence of colonization strategies and naturalization of social networks and through utilitarianism thesis that wants to reduce all collective and individual action to selfish motivations, such as rational choice theories.

Keywords: social networks, rational choice, utilitarianism, collective action.