Measuring identity change - a historical sociological application

What is it about?

I analyze the day-to-day diary entries of an 18th century Hungarian aristocrat to show how identity changes based on shifts in the composition and structure of the network in which he is situated. Károlyi operated in spatially fragmented networks and held positions at both the state and county level administrations. I argue that the disappearance of noble brokers hindered the process of reconciliation between national and county level politics and stalled state politics for an entire century.

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Why is it important?

The paper is an early example of the application of relational sociology to problems of historical sociology.