Visualising changing tenure relationships: the talking titler methodology, data mining and social network analysis

Abstract

Networks of social relationships and how they evolve in relation to land interests are a fundamental attribute of land tenure systems. Individuals may be members of complex, multi-layered, changing and conflicting social networks at any particular time in changing situations. The Talking Titler relational data model (TTM), data mining and social network analysis (SNA) were used to visualise and explore rapidly changing land interests using an urbanizing customary society as the illustrative context. Land tenure relationships may change rapidly in situations where both external forces and internal agents foment conflict and social change in local politics, and elites may abuse their power to grab land. Peri-urban customary systems evolve in response to urbanization, titling programmes and land sales that put pressure on traditional customary norms. Social network analysis can facilitate visualizing complex patterns of relationships between people and how they relate to land. It may also identify new, previous, unknown and changing relationships and structures on the ground. There are practical challenges to applying the tools, but the methodology and data mining and network analysis techniques show promise as an addition to the set of tools that may be used to improve tenure security and as a scenario analysis tool.