3b. Theories relating to networking

Networking is very important in the performing industry and even though I know I have been networking through out my career this task has been interesting to look into the different theories behind it.

Cooperation

"When should a person cooperate, and when should a person be selfish, in an ongoing interaction with another person?" (Axelrod, R. 1984)

This was an interesting quote, as I have been in many situations where people in an audition have asked for my help with remembering a step in a routine.  I am somebody who does like to help out others, so with that character trait I automatically will help them out and then they will go and get the job over me.  Should this have been a case where I needed to be selfish?

"Should a friend keep providing favours to another friend who never reciprocates?" (Alexrod, R. 1984)

In my group of friends we are very cooperative and we help each other out, letting each other know about auditions and any jobs that may suit one another.  However, I have also been in situations were I have told somebody about an audition and when they have information about an audition they have been very secretive and haven't returned the favour, so that they can attend it on their own giving them a better chance of getting the job.

I know it is a tough industry and you should always look out for yourself, but what extent should you go to and is it worth being selfish and upsetting friends over?

"The Prisoners Dilemma" was the game that Axelrod (1984) developed in order to identify patterns of behaviour.  "TIT FOR TAT" was the winning method which has been described as "cooperation until maximum benefit produced then defect".



According to Axelrod (1984) the key characteristics for successful cooperation were:

• BE NICE - cooperate, never be the first to defect
• BE PROVOCABLE - return defection for defection, cooperation for cooperation
• DON'T BE ENVIOUS - be fair with your partner
• DON'T BE TOO CLEVER - or, don't be too tricky

I personally agree with these characteristics and I do believe if you do something good for someone else the favour will be returned.  It is so important we cooperate in this industry, as every one is in the same boat and if we are open and help one another then it might lead to more opportunities for every one.  

However, is a selfless act really selfless?  Trivers (1971) explains how "the benefits of human altruism are to be seen as coming directly from reciprocity – not indirectly through non-altruistic group benefits".  In our professional networking instance, Altruism can be described as a behaviour where someone acts in a manner that might temporarily reduce their success while trying to help another person, with the expectation that the favour will be returned at a later time.  Therefore, do people only help others in order to gain something back? Or are they doing it because they genuinely want to?

Affilliation

I feel Affilliation is extremely important, not only in a professional environment but in life in general.  

"Our tendency to seek out others and form close relationships is an inherited trait that helps us to survive and reproduce by providing us with a network of support that will help us when we are in need"  (Crisp, J and Turner, R 2010)

Some people have a wide network of friends, but they might not be that close to them and some people have a smaller network of friends who they are really close with. O'Connor and Rosenblood, 1996 explore the model of social afflilliation and how "people control their level of contact with others to keep it stable and as close as possible to a desired level". 

It is harder for some people to affilliate than others.  Introvert people find it harder to interact socially than people who are extroverts.  According to Johnson and colleagues 1999, this is because introverts are "higher in arousability, the degree to which stimulation typically produces arousal of the central nervous system, than extroverts".

Socially interacting with people is a key part of networking and even if you are an introvert and find it difficult, you have to do it to help yourself.  Everyone involved in a production will speak to each other and add each other on Facebook or Instagram, whether they are in the production or behind the scenes.  It is this networking that could lead you to your next job, as they might know someone who is looking to cast someone who matches what you can offer.

I personally feel I can be both introvert and extrovert depending on the situation.  I tend to be more extrovert on a social level with my friends than I am professionally.  This is because I think more about what I am saying in a professional environment, as if I say something wrong it could affect the way someone sees me and whether they would employ me, where as with your friends it is a lot more relaxed and if you say something stupid they would just laugh it off with you.

Social Constructionism

Constructionism suggests human beings construct meanings as "they engage with the world they are interpreting. Before there were consciousness on earth capable of interpreting the world, the world had no meaning at all". (Crotty, M. 1998)

I understand the above quote to mean, although there was existence it only had meaning once an individual had constructed meaning for it.

"It is the view that all knowledge and therefore all meaningful reality as such is contingent upon human practices, being constructed in and out of interaction between human beings and their world, and developed and transmitted within an essentially social context" (Crotty, M. 1998)

Therefore, once an individual has constructed meaning, this will then be shared through interaction with other individuals.  In our world today, meaning is being constructed and shared through Web 2.0 as well as word of mouth.  

Each individual will interpret meaning differently depending on their previous experiences. "Tree is likely to bear different connotations in a logging town, an artist settlement and a tree less slum". (Crotty, M. 1998)

At the moment social networking is vital to find out about auditions and companies. Obviously as my career progresses and changes this may become less important to me, as I would have already gained contact and knowledge.  However, my knowledge I have gained as a dancer can then be passed on to my students and others.

I also feel we use social constructionism in auditions, because everyone is taught the same routine.  However, everyone will interpret and perform it differently according to their previous training and knowledge.  

I don't feel this is a theory that will enhance my networking, but it is something that everyone does subconsciously and makes us who we are.

Connectivism

"Connectivism suggests that learners create knowledge as they attempt to understand their experiences" (Driscoll, 2000 p.376)

Driscoll, 2000 also defines learning as "a persisting change in human performance or performance potential...which must come about as a result of the learner's experience and interaction with the world".

The quotes above relate to the theories of Kolb, Gibbs, Dewey and Honey and Mumford etc discussed in a previous task, as we are learning and adapting subconsciously all the time.  For example, If I was choreographing to the same piece of music as someone else, we would interpret the music differently and we would choreograph different movements according to our own knowledge and previous experiences.


In Reader 3 "Connectivism: A learning Theory for the Digital Age" the principles of connectivism are:

• Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.
• Learning is a process of connecting specialised nodes or information sources.
• Learning may reside in non- human appliances.
• Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currenty known.
• Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to faciliate continual learning.
• Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concept is a core skill.
• Currency (accurate, up to date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities.
• Decision making is itself a learning process.  Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality.  While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision. 

Opinions of others are very important in a learning process,  for example, by blogging on the B.A.P.P course others are able to comment and give their opinions in order for us to improve on our work and even add points we might have missed after being made aware of them.  Years ago, learning had to be thorough human appliances but now technology plays a key part in learning and we can gain lots of information using Web 2.0 and the internet and this enables us to do this.  It is important to stay up to date with information and the B.A.P.P course is allowing me to do this, as it is teaching me a lot about the theories and practitioners behind learning and improving as a performer. 

As it states in Reader 3, "The starting point of connectivism is the individual.  Personal knowledge is comprised of a network, which feeds into organisations and institutions, which in turn feed back to the network, and then continue to provide learning to individual.  This cycle of knowledge development (personal to network to organisation) allows learners to remain current in their field through the connections they have formed".

The statement above suggests the learning process is a continuous cycle.  For example, I observed another teachers class and got some good ideas for new effective teaching methods.  By observing, I was able to see what worked well and what didn't work as well. She then later observed a class of mine and did the same.  This feedback was useful and beneficial in order to learn and improve and I applied this to my next lesson which was successful, proving this learning cycle is effective.

Communities of Practice

"A community of practice is a set of relations among persons, activity, and world, over time and in relation with other tangential and overlapping communities of practice.  A community of practice is an intrinsic condition for the existence of knowledge, not least because it provides the interpretive support necessary for making sense of its heritage". (Lave, J and Wegner, E. 1991).

As a dancer I have been part of many communities.  When I was younger I attended a local dance school for 15 years, where I learnt the techniques and skills I needed to become a dancer.  I then went to Performers College for 3 years, where I became part of another communitity.  Here I learnt how to perfect those techniques and progress those skills.  After graduating, I joined the audition community which led me to the community of different productions and working dancers.  I shared the same experiences with people in each community and this helped me in order to learn and grow.  I feel it is important to share feelings and thoughts with people in your community because as well as helping you as an individual you could also help someone else and that is what a community is all about.

The students I teach are now entering the developmental stage of the cycle of a professional dancer at the stage I first entered as a child.  This then allows me to share the information I have gained from each community with them, in the hope that one day if they become a teacher they will pass on their knowledge to their students, keeping the community of practice cycle going.    

I feel community of practice, cooperation and affilliation are all positive theories about networking and I will continue to consider these in the future because I believe if we all help each other the industry won't be as brutal and therefore more enjoyable to be a part of.