Social and Economic Networks

This is a section of a master course that I teach, together with Rafael Lalive and Marco Tomassini, at the University of Lausanne.

• Calendar with tentative topics for each lecture
• Slides
  • Social interactions and networks in economics
  • Identification in fixed groups
  • Identification in networks
  • The mechanics of social interactions
• References
  • Main references on identification:
    • Jackson, M.O. (2008), Social and Economic Networks, Princeton University Press.
    • Charles F. Manski. 1993. "Identification of Endogenous Social Effects: The Reflection Problem". The Review of Economic Studies.
    • Bramoullé, Yann & Djebbari, Habiba & Fortin, Bernard, 2009. "Identification of peer effects through social networks." Journal of Econometrics
    • De Giorgi, Giacomo, Michele Pellizzari and Silvia Redaelli. 2010. "Identification of Social Interactions through Partially Overlapping Peer Groups." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics.
  • Applications of identification in fixed groups:
    • Bruce Sacerdote, 2001. "Peer Effects With Random Assignment: Results For Dartmouth Roommates," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 116(2), pages 681-704.
  • Applications of identification in networks:
    • De Giorgi, Giacomo, Michele Pellizzari and Silvia Redaelli. 2010. "Identification of Social Interactions through Partially Overlapping Peer Groups." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics.
  • Applications using aggregate data:
    • Yannis M. Ioannides & Giorgio Topa, 2010. "Neighborhood Effects: Accomplishments And Looking Beyond Them," Journal of Regional Science, vol. 50(1), pages 343-362.
    • Patrick Bayer & Stephen L. Ross & Giorgio Topa, 2008. "Place of Work and Place of Residence: Informal Hiring Networks and Labor Market Outcomes," Journal of Political Economy, vol. 116(6), pages 1150-1196.
    • Topa, Giorgio, 2001. "Social Interactions, Local Spillovers and Unemployment," Review of Economic Studies, vol. 68(2), pages 261-95.
  • About the social multiplier:
    • Edward L. Glaeser & Bruce I. Sacerdote & Jose A. Scheinkman, 2003. "The Social Multiplier," Journal of the European Economic Association, vol. 1(2-3), pages 345-353.
  • Other interesting papers:
    • Carrell, S. E., Sacerdote, B. I. and West, J. E. (2013), From Natural Variation to Optimal Policy? The Importance of Endogenous Peer Group Formation. Econometrica, 81: 855–882.
    • Angrist, Joshua D., 2014. "The perils of peer effects," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 98-108.
    • Antoni Calvo-Armengol & Eleonora Patacchini & Yves Zenou, 2009. "Peer Effects and Social Networks in Education," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 76(4), pages 1239-1267.
• Exam material
  • 2014-2015 first exam - retake
  • mock exam question