Social structure, networks, and E‐state structuralism models

The method of E‐state structuralism provides dynamic models for the evolution and development of networks in small groups. Our interest lies in the kind of social networks that these models produce. We ask the question of whether such models produce “interesting” structure from a network point‐of‐view, in particular, from the perspective of Holland and Leinhardt who argue that any network that can be modeled adequately using only properties of nodes and dyads has no social structure. We show that E‐state structuralism models are models of social structure in this technical sense because they assume a bystander mechanism in the creation of ties.