At the Crossroads: Social Networks in Turbulent Times

Christine Miller, Autumn Sanders, Stokes Jones

Savannah College of Art & Design

The City of Dalton, Georgia has a problem: it’s been very successful.
Unlike hundreds of Southern Mill towns founded in the 19th Century Dalton
re-invented itself through the skillful application of new technology as a hub
for an estimated 90% of US and 60% of the world's carpet and floor
covering. Known as the “Carpet Capital of the World”, Dalton has enjoyed
phenomenal growth which has brought decades of prosperity to the city.

The end of the long U.S. housing boom and consequent impact on the
carpet and flooring companies that have been the mainstay of the Dalton’s
economy has marked the end of an era for the community and signaled
the need for change. In the wake of the downturn Dalton has been left with
a series of interrelated problems: decreased revenues from downsized
industries, a large population of unemployed low-skill workers, an exodus
of midlevel professionals, and urban blight in the form of unused
commercial and industrial properties.

The purpose of this paper is to establish a frame of research that focuses

on the role of social networks in Dalton’s past, present, and future. “The
Carpet Capital” is not just a bogus claim; how did their networks allow this?
What is the role of existing social networks in determining the next steps
for the city? Initial ethnographic research has uncovered multiple
stakeholder networks within Dalton. How might they influence the design
and implementation of plans to move the city towards a shared vision for
the future?

Keywords: social networks, ethnographic inquiry; historic analysis

Download copies of COINs 2009 research and industry papers at

ScienceDirect.

Link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/issue/59087-2010-999979995-
2182758

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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, Volume 2, Issue 4, The 1st
Collaborative Innovation Networks Conference - COINs2009. Edited by
Kenneth Riopelle, Peter Gloor, Christine Miller and Julia Gluesing.

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