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While there has been a growth of literature in the area of social networks and natural resources management (NRM), the theoretical and empirical literature on social network dynamics of local collaboration in NRM in developing countries, and Africain particular, remains underdeveloped. This paper reviews the theoretical and empirical literature of social networks and local collaboration in NRM, and develops a conceptual framework for examining social network dynamics of local collaborationin NRM. Its discussion centres on considerations for applying a stochastic actor-based modelling approach of network dynamics, which offers one of the several noteworthy approaches to social network analysis. The paper concludes that understanding themechanisms that underpin the dynamic nature of social networks and local collaboration in NRM helps in developing appropriate policies that encourage collaborative efforts, and foster local commitment to sustainable NRM.

This paper investigates how anthropogenic climate change is presented to the Irish public by three of Ireland's most important national newspapers. We argue that Irish newspapers do not report climate change in an objective and unbiased way and illustrate how through the acts of agenda setting, news framing and in how they construct public discourse they present the issue in a narrow ideological form. Evidence is provided to support the argument that ecological modernisation is used by Irish newspapers to construct the issue of climate change. Our study uses three levels of analysis: (1) we calculate the trend in the coverage of climate change between 1997 and 2012 to uncover what events are correlated with peaks in coverage; (2) we conduct an in-depth frame analysis of a large sample of articles to determine how the issue is classified and categorised; and (3) we conduct a discourse network analysis to uncover which actors are given a voice, which policy measures they favour and with whom they share policy positions. The data we find support our theoretical arguments, leading us to the conclusion that Irish newspapers produce and reproduce a narrow ideological worldview that is articulated, shared and propagated by Ireland's political and economic elites.

Characteristics such as 'acquaintance society' and 'differential mode of association' have been widely acknowledged as unique features of Chinese rural societies. However, quantitative evidence of these characteristics is not found in the literature. Applying methods in social network analysis, this paper presents a quantitative study of the social structure of Chinese villages. We measure various network statistics and topological properties of these villages using detailed data on major social relationships (including kinship, house neighbourhood, land plot neighbourhood and political relationships) in 10 rural villages located in central China. In this way, we provide a quantitative description of the structural characteristics of Chinese villages and quantitative evidence for some widely acknowledged features. Our findings are threefold: (1) the networks of Chinese villages are densely connected and highly decentralised; (2) the networks are typical small-world networks, referred to in network research as 'acquaintance societies'; (3) individuals form neighbourhood ties according to the closeness of existing kinship ties, which corroborates the feature of 'differential mode of association'.

This article applies a modelling approach to examine the establishment of Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in England. RDAs are an important part of New Labour's policy programme for regional economic development, and their implementation requires the involvement of actors at both central and local government levels. The three phases of negotiations that took place between these actors are studied using alternative models of collective decision-making, including a cooperative exchange model and a non-cooperative conflict model. Data on the key elements of the decision-making process - including the issues discussed during the negotiations, the actors' policy positions and capabilities, and the levels of salience they attached to the issues - were collected systematically and form the basis of the analysis. Application of the models allows inferences to be drawn regarding the nature of the decision-making process that took place prior to the policy outcomes. These analyses are supported by the estimates of the utility gains and losses experienced by the actors as a result of the policy outcomes that were realized. The results demonstrate that Labour has pursued a largely consensual approach based on exchange and log-rolling.

Delegation models make contrasting assumptions about how political disagreement affects discretion and empirical research reports contradictory findings. The authors aim to shed new light on this puzzle by distinguishing the mechanisms that drive the effect of political disagreement on discretion. Four conditions influence the strength of each mechanism: (a) policy salience, (b) actors involved, (c) their capacity, and (d) decision rule. They explore this theoretical framework on the case of economic restructuring in the United Kingdom and show that political disagreement reduces discretion. There is no significant interaction effect between salience and political disagreement on discretion.

The Reform of the Structural Funds process in Ireland, has the potential over time, to curttail the power of the national central public authorities, while increasing the political effectiveness of other actors. 'This policy process comprises a chain of collective decision making processes around important issues. These issues belong to different policy arenas, called the national and sub-national policy arenas. The policy outcomes in the different arenas determined by the interplay of stakeholders with varying capabilities, policy preferences and saliences. Sub-national level actors in Ireland, have become more effective over time in the sub-national policy arena, but remain excluded from the national policy arena. However, the Europcan Commission Directorate General XVI for Regional policy has emerged over time, as the most central actor in both arenas.