A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for analyzing the structure of whole social entities as well as a variety of theories explaining the patterns observed in these structures. The study of these structures uses social network analysis to identify local and global patterns, locate influential entities, and examine network dynamics. 

Social networks and the analysis of them is an inherently interdisciplinary academic field which emerged from social psychology, sociology, statistics, and graph theory. Georg Simmel authored early structural theories in sociology emphasizing the dynamics of triads and "web of group affiliations". Jacob Moreno is credited with developing the first sociograms in the 1930s to study interpersonal relationships. These approaches were mathematically formalized in the 1950s and theories and methods of social networks became pervasive in the social and behavioral sciences by the 1980s. Social network analysis is now one of the major paradigms in contemporary sociology, and is also employed in a number of other social and formal sciences. Together with other complex networks, it forms part of the nascent field of network science.
Who created the first sociograms?
when?
What for?
What did Georg Simmel write?
Dealing with dynamics of what?
What does a social network consist of?
What happens between actors?
What give a set of methods?
Does this analyze just part of the social parts?
How much?
What do the theories explain?
What is one reason to study this?
What's another?
Do you know of any more?
Does studying social networks just include one field?
How many did it come from?
What are they?
How was this formalized in the 50s
What field of science is this part of?
Is it part of modern sociology?
Jacob Moreno
Jacob Moreno
the 1930s
the 1930s 
to study interpersonal relationships
to study interpersonal relationships
early structural theories in sociology
 early structural theories in sociology
triads
triads
a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations) and sets of dyadic ties
a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties
social interactions
 social interactions
The social network perspective
The social network perspective
no
for analyzing the structure of whole social entities 
whole social entities
whole social entities 
the patterns observed in these structures
the patterns observed in these structures
to identify local and global patterns
to identify local and global patterns
to locate influential entities
 locate influential entities
to examine network dynamics
examine network dynamics
no
an inherently interdisciplinary academic field 
Four
from social psychology, sociology, statistics, and graph theory
social psychology, sociology, statistics, and graph theory
social psychology, sociology, statistics, and graph theory
mathematically
mathematically
network science
network science
yes
contemporary sociology