Structural Balance in the Animal Kingdom
Quite literally everyone and their mother has heard of the story of Ugly Duckling- an inspiring tale about a poor creature that is ostracized for its strange appearance. What you might not know, however, is that ostracization is not uncommon in the real life networks of animals such as chimpanzees, lions, wolves, and even bees, as highlighted in The Ugly Duckling and Other Rejected Animals, an article by Karen Rogers. Whats even more surprising is that the conditions for ostracization shows strong ties with the rules of structural balance from chapter 5 of Networks, Crowds, and Markets: Reasoning about a Highly Connected World.
Chapter 5 breaks down structural balance into 4 types of triangles that will make up any network greater than 3 people. One network has positive ties between all nodes, or people, which is structurally balanced for obvious reasons. A second model with one positive tie and two negative ties begins to make connections with the idea of ostracization. This type of structure creates a dynamic where two members of a group have a mutual enemy in the 3rd member of the group. It is this exact kind of dynamic that creates a situation where one member of a pack might be shunned from the main group. Furthermore, a structure with two positive ties and one negative tie is also unbalanced because that means the one node with two positive ties will have to pick a side. After they do so, another common enemy situation is created, and one member is once again left to be removed in order to create structural balance.
Given these dynamics, it is hardly surprising that ostracization is relevant in nature and its many social dynamics. For animals, the primary goals are survival and reproduction, and these goals are most achievable through a strong group structure and stability. Therefore, it makes sense that there is a constant monitoring of the group structure and prompt decisions to remove any members causing instability. For the students of INFO 2040, structural stability may be just another flashcard, but in the animal kingdom, stability means everything.
Reference:
http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2012/08/the-ugly-duckling-and-other-rejected-animals/