Keystone Sector Identification: A Graph Theory-Social Network Analysis Approach

Maureen Kilkenny and Laura Nalbarte ()

in Wholbk from Regional Research Institute, West Virginia University

Abstract: This Web Book presents a new a method for identifying keystone sectors in communities, where sectors are broadly defined to include churches, clubs, associations, and public institutions as well as firms and businesses. In an arch, the keystone is the one with the unique wedge shape at the top of the arch that is critical for the arch’s structural stability. While all other stones in an arch substitute for one another and can be removed (in pairs), the arch will fall apart if the keystone is lacking. The term keystone species was first coined by ecologists in the late 1960s with respect to the species uniquely responsible for the structure and integrity of an ecosystem. We now coin the term for use in community development analysis. In a community, the keystone sector is one that plays a unique role, without which the community is fundamentally and detrimentally altered.

Keywords: input output; regional science; economics; social network analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O18 P25 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1999
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/rri-web-book/19/ (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Keystone Sector Identification: A Graph Theory-Social Network Analysis Approach (2000)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:rri:wholbk:21

Access Statistics for this book

More books in Wholbk from Regional Research Institute, West Virginia University Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Randall Jackson ().