austraLasia #3427
The small world network of EAO
Novitiates
EAO: May 8, 2014 -- The EAO Regional, Fr Klement, believes
he has hit upon a helpful insight from the 'small-world'
hypothesis - as simple as putting EAO novitiates (and novices) in
touch with each other. As he put it in a recent email: "my
intuition is to LINK together the same works in EAO, like
- novitiates
- formation houses
- volunteers...
Apparently it is the right idea and daily brings some new
'friends'..."
So let's take a look at this phenomenon in terms of the first group
he is endeavouring to link - novitiates around the Region.
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A small-world network is a type of mathematical graph in which most
nodes are not neighbours of one another, but most nodes can be
reached from every other.
In a seminal 1973 research paper, M.S. Granovetter (Chicago)
argued that weak ties in any social network (one’s acquaintances)
are more important for information dissemination than strong ties
(one’s close friends, associates). Granovetter’s argument suggests
that strong ties cover densely knitted networks, where a ‘friend of
my friend is also my friend’. On the other hand, weak ties are much
less transitive, and so they are more likely to be bridges: crucial
ties that interconnect different subgroups in the social network.
This implies that information from a strong tie is likely to be very
similar to the information one already has. But weak ties are more
likely to open up information sources very different from one’s own.
Apply this to novices - the 'strong ties' are in the novitiate
itself. The 'weak ties' are the links between novices in one
novitiate and novices in another. And so on, as one extends
the argument to the loosely linked provinces, vice provinces and
delegations that make up EAO.
Whether the hypothesis is correct or not, it is a workable insight,
which VK puts in pretty much simple terms, writing to novice masters
around the Region:
"
After visiting the first
novitiate as a 'recycled' Regional Councillor, I feel that a
possible 'network' of prayers - photos - sharing among the 9
novitiates of our EAO region might be a good help for all.
Possible advantages:
1. Allow new Salesians to get a
feel for the 'world-wide Salesian community' (C. 59)
2. Help to open our heart and mind
to the different expressions of the Salesian Charism, sharing the
rich charismatic experience among our Novitiates.
3. Since our 76 novices(?!) are
scattered and far from each other in the Region, any form of
sharing will lift up our spirit!
4. Might arouse some creative form
of sharing so much needed in our wide East Asia Oceania Region."
He then offers email addresses of novice masters around the region
if someone should want to be in touch.
Some
details on EAO Novitiates and novices as of May 2014
Novice Master
Prov Location
N
Taisali
Leuluai
AUL Fiji -
Suva
2
(Joseph Ng -
former)
CIN (FIS - Cebu)
FIN
Roneldo Vilbar
FIS
Cebu -
Lawaan
12
Michael
Lap
GIA
Tokyo-Chofu
2
Virgilio Da
Silva
ITM Timor -Fatumaca
17
Yosep Ola
Suba
ITM Indones -
Sumba 7
Chong John, Jae Jun
KOR
Neri
5
Bosco Zeya
Aung
MYM
Anikasan
4
(preparing for 2015) PNG SI
(Port Moresby)
Anthony Boonlert Paneethatayasai THA
Sampran
0
Giuse Nguyen Dinh
Phuc
VIE HCM-Ba Thon
29
Total
9
76
These novitiates tend to start and finish at different times from
one another - so for example the 12 in the combined CIN-FIN-FIS
novitiate in Cebu have just made their first profession (5 from FIn,
6 from FIS and 1 from CIN). Whereas the 2 in Fiji (1 from Australia,
1 from Fiji) only began their novitiate on 1 February this year.
