Dynamique des réseaux sociaux et stratégies d'encastrement social

Economic sociology and economics converge to highlight the role of social networks in the market coordination of agents. Social ties are involved in the flow of information. They constitute social capital for agents who hold them. Their density promotes the emergence of social norms that contribute to the regulation of economic relationships. The origin of the structure of social networks and their dynamics remain unexplored. This article assumes that the dynamics of social networks is due to the intentionality of strategic agents who seize the opportunities offered by the network structure but will also divert institutional devices (contracts and organizations) to intentionally build social capital. The accumulation of social capital and the embedding process lead to the emergence of extra-economic social norms that change the nature of maximization by agents by involving sociological dimensions such as the need to belong to a group and need of recognition. In this regard, the sociological analysis of social networks complements recent developments in behavioral economics (Benabou and Tirole, 2006).