UC Santa Barbara

Granovetter's 'strength of weak ties' theory offers a satisfying approach to the study of integration in networks of face-to-face interaction consisting of multiple subgroups. The present paper tests five hypotheses of this theory in the setting of a multidisciplinary social network of biological scientists. Considerable support for the theory is indicated: the local bridges and intergroup ties in the network are disproportionately weak ties. © 1980.