Consequential Strangers - History

History

The academic underpinnings of the concept can be traced back to Mark Granovetter’s influential 1973 paper, "The Strength of Weak Ties," in which the sociologist argued that job opportunities were most likely to come from people in the more distant reaches of one’s personal network–-old bosses, former coworkers, college connections. Subsequent studies of social networks have shown that information, resources, and new connections–-which confer social capital-–are the province of weak ties in all arenas of life, not just employment. Benefits accrue to individuals, families, and the larger community as well. For example, one study found that African American mothers who made use of community ties as well as their families, were able to get their children into magnet schools and extracurricular programs that protected them from the dangers of inner city life.

Historically, relationship scholars have concentrated almost entirely on intimates: partners, children, parents, and, to a lesser extent, best friends. However, the trend toward urbanization underscored the importance of peripheral relationships. It is almost impossible to cope with the demands of modern life without weak ties. Thus, over the last several decades a handful of researchers and theorists have emphasized the important role of weak ties in anchoring individuals in the larger community. As one scholar observed in 1989, "Social scientists have long held that close and intimate friendships are the sine qua non of personal relationships, and no doubt they are important, but ties with acquaintances are equally important."

Technology has played a key role in the unprecedented rise of consequential strangers. Advances in transportation and communication have always altered the ways in which people can connect-–the pony express allowed the printed word to spread; the telephone made it possible to speak to distant contacts. But computers and digitalization have accelerated the process. In 1997, when Merrill Lynch asked social observer Michael Schrage to analyze how "new" technologies would transform businesses, he stressed that the shift did not herald an "information revolution" as much as a "relationship revolution". His predictions proved prescient. Today, at least 1.6 billion people are connected via computer and mobile devices. Various social media, such as blogs, wikis, Twitter, SMS, and networking sites like Facebook facilitate contact, coordination, and collaboration across boundaries of time and space-–and at minimal cost. Most relationships-–personal and business–-are now conducted both on and off the Internet. As a result, the ranks of consequential strangers have grown as has the ability to keep in touch with them.