The centrality of service organizations and their leisure networks

Abstract

This study examines a network of community groups and the civic, commercial, and educational organizations involved with amateur artists in a regional Australian city. Social network analysis using measures for density, centrality, centralization, and cliques revealed that the groups and the organizations formed several clusters around types of creative artists and that service organizations were the communication hubs in the network. Recommendations include improving community networks by weaving better linkages among groups and organizations and the undertaking of research into the multiple leisure networks that occur in local government areas.

Keywords:

• networks
• service organizations
• leisure
• creative arts
• Australia