Structural Balance Theory: The Bachelorette
In The Bachelorette, there are a variety of groupings that are structurally balanced and structural unbalanced. For this post, I will discuss a triad between Kaitlyn, Nick, and Shawn from season 19 of The Bachelorette. For this network, we can represent the TV characters as nodes and the relationships between them as edges.
This show revolves around one person, the bachelorette, as she pursues multiple men. On the 19th season of The Bachelorette, Kaitlyn Bristowe finds herself in a love triangle between two suitors, Nick and Shawn. At the start of the season, Kaitlyn has a good relationship with both Nick and Shawn, creating a + edge between herself and both men. However Nick and Shawn have a negative relationship. Both men see each other as rivals, leading to a – edge between them. In this situation, the network is structurally unbalanced, because there are 2 + edges and 1 – edge. Unsurprisingly, the imbalance of their network creates drama in each episode. Nick and Shawn can be seen arguing with each other, talking behind the other’s back, and complaining to Kaitlyn about her lack of devotion. Kaitlyn also experiences disarrest, as she doesn’t know which suitor to believe. A diagram of this network can be seen below:
Eventually, when Kaitlyn decides she is more compatible with Shawn, and they get engaged, the network shifts to become balanced. Kaitlyn, who is now fully in love and loyal to Shawn, decides to stop talking to Nick, creating a – edge between them. Kaitlyn’s edge with Shawn is still positive, and Nick’s edge with Shawn is still -, so there is now a + – – triangle, which is structurally balanced. After the network becomes balanced, the drama mellows out. Shawn and Kaitlyn have a solid relationship, and although Shawn dislikes Nick, he is content enough in his relationships to not cause any public problems. And while Nick now has a negative relationship with both Kaitlyn and Nick, he at least has closure knowing that Kaitlyn was the wrong person for him. A diagram of this new network is shown below:
This network is a great example of how the structural balance of a network can correspond to the amount of conflict that occurs between the nodes.
Resource: https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/pictures/kaitlyn-bristowe-nick-vialls-messy-relationship-timeline/