One of the best ways to network is to be affiliated (affiliation) with someone with a larger involvement. The term “affiliate” means to “officially attach or connect to an organization” [Oxford American Dictionaries 2009]. Being attached within an organization puts your reputation and the other person’s reputation on the line as the term “officially” emphasizes the connection is “in a formal and public way” [Oxford American Dictionaries 2009] making the connection known to others. We have to work hard to maintain the trust between all members contained in the network so the links remain strong and allow us to affiliate with others in the chain.
Social constructionism refers to what type of bond people make with each other, weather they are a close friend, co-worker or a business connection, they all have a different relationship. One would not greet a business collogue with a hug or a kiss, a firm handshake will suffice for an industry professional. When first meeting a new face, we decide what sort of relation we are going to have with this person, therefore the alliance is undifferentiated and will need to be defined.
Communities of practice is something I have always been aware of, that people that have practices in common create a community (a large circle of friends with the same interest). When I was in school, we referred to it the “bubble”. Our school was like a small community of dancers. We all had dance in common and that is why we were gathered together, creating a community. Although being in the “bubble” was good as we were mixing with people with the same interests, we also forgot that there is an even bigger community of dancers outside the walls of the school, and that in fact we were more like a small fish in a large pond.
Connectivism is vital to the networking process. You can be given all the contacts/information in the world, but unless you know how to deal with them or how to apply them, they become useless. A good example is auditions, you can be told about an upcoming audition, but unless you truly know who will be there, what they are looking for and how to present yourself, it could be a waste of time and money. You can get a head start by knowing one of the people on the panel, or someone who knows them, this would involve using the connections you have in order to make the connection to assist you in the audition.
Cooperation is a tricky subject, as you can help each other, but at what point does one have to abscond from the collaboration in order to better themselves. A teacher can teach a student how to dance, until all the knowledge has been absorbed, then the student must move on to a teacher with greater knowledge or become a professional. However, when it comes to auditions, people are not very friendly and do no assist each other in getting a job, which could potentially be theirs. It’s a bit of a battlefield. Dancers who have retired may lend a hand to you, by using what they know and contacts. Cooperation is not widely used in the dance world, more so in the training aspect, rather than assistance in gaining a job.
