Social Network Analysis of the Environmental Justice and Climate Justice Community Active in Climate Adaptation and Conservation: George Mason University

The purpose of this project is to develop and test a SNA methodology for the national and regional CASCs to identify, map, and measure relationship patterns among organizations engaging in environmental and climate justice work related to climate adaptation and conservation. The planned deliverables of this project are designed to support the CASCs, resource managers, restoration professionals, and land stewards in enhancing their efforts to integrate environmental and climate justice into their climate adaptation and conservation work. The proposal is organized around three primary objectives:

Objective 1. Identify CASC Partners and Relevant Organizations Identify CASC partners and other relevant organizations engaging in environmental and climate justice work related to climate adaptation and conservation.

Objective 2. Assess Relationships and Relationship Characteristics Assess the relationships and relationship characteristics among identified organizations, focusing on aspects such as relationship strength, length, interaction frequency, trust, purpose, and information flow. 

Objective 3. Develop and Implement the Social Network Analysis Methodology Develop a methodology for a social network analysis to identify, map, and measure relationship patterns. Apply the methodology in a national analysis for the NCASC and within the Northwest and Northeast regional CASCs. This analysis, focused on answering our three research questions, will aim to identify current and potential collaborative groups, assess factors that predict the formation of successful and effective collaborative ties, and compare variations across the regional and national networks.