ABSTRACT
There have been several strands in the book that have indicated the importance of spatial and temporal dimensions in networks. Network theorists like Castells (2000a) contrast the ‘space of flows’ with the ‘space of places’ – the latter being replaced by the former through the role of new communications technologies (Chapter 2). Wellman (2001) made a similar argument for the change of the relevance of place in relation to views of community; moving from a ‘door-to-door’ community to a ‘person-to-person’ one, although his is not an argument for ignoring place, rather for its no longer being the dominant feature in social networks. Larsen et al., who are concerned with mobilities (produced by transport and communications technology), argue that Wellman and ‘small-world’ theorists do not pay enough attention to where meetings take place and the travel to them:
As societies are more spread out with connections at-a-distance and people are less likely to bump into their contacts, so scheduled visits and meetings are more significant . . . when people meet face-to-face this involves longer distance travel, especially as there is less likelihood of quick, casual meetings which occurred when work, family or friendship networks overlapped.
