Cohen is a sociologist specialising in the quantitative study of human social networks. He has a particular interest in socioecology and network formation.
Dr Cohen R. Simpson
Former Research Fellow & British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow
Profile
Cohen was a Research Fellow and British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute and a Research Fellow at Nuffield College. His research focused on the formation of human social networks and he had a particular interest in socioecology and the relative importance of generative mechanisms (e.g., reciprocity versus transitivity).
Cohen received his PhD in Social Research Methods (Applied Social Statistics) from the London School of Economics & Political Science (Department of Methodology) and before joining the LSE he completed a MSc in Social Science of the Internet here at the OII as a Clarendon Scholar. Prior to joining the OII’s faculty, he was a post-doc in the Department of Sociology here at Oxford and the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge.
Research Interests
Network Formation; Socioecology & Choice of Social Contacts; Rural Populations
Positions Held at the OII
- Research Fellow, January 2018 – December 2020
- British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, January 2018 – December 2020
- MSc student, October 2011 – September 2012
Research
Past projects
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The Cultural Origins of Village Social Structure
Participants: Dr Cohen R. Simpson
Using data on face-to-face friendship between adult residents of dozens of rural villages in China, this project investigates whether the expression of mechanisms of network formation (e.g., reciprocity and transitivity) varies across environments.
Journal articles
- (2020) "On the structural equivalence of coresidents and the measurement of village social structure", Social Networks.
- (2019) "Farm size shapes friend choice amongst rice producers in China: Some evidence for the theory of network ecology", Social Networks. 61 107-127.
- (2016) "Competition for foundation patronage and the differential effects of prestige on the grant market success of social movement organisations", Social Networks. 46 29-43.
- (2015) "Multiplexity and strategic alliances: The relational embeddedness of coalitions in social movement organisational fields", Social Networks. 42 (July 2015) 42-59.
Teaching
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Foundations of Social Data Science
This course will introduce to some of the fundamental questions that have been raised in this domain across the social sciences.
Integrity Statement
My research is currently funded by the British Academy.
