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Chaos, Complexity, and Sociology
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Chaos, Complexity, and Sociology
Myths, Models, and Theories

Edited by:

June 1997 | 360 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Chaos theory has firmly established itself in many of the physical sciences, such as geology and fluid dynamics. This edited volume helps locate this revolutionary theory in sociology as well as the other social sciences. Doors previously closed to social scientists may be opened by this dynamic theory, which attempts to capture movement and change in exciting new ways. Editors Raymond A. Eve, Sara Horsfall, and Mary Lee, with guidance from Editorial Advisor Frederick Turner, provide a timely and well-chosen collection of articles, which first examines the emerging myths and theories surrounding the study of chaos and complexity. In the volumeÆs second part, methodological matters are considered. Finally, conceptual models and applications are presented. "Postmodern science" has provided and refined conceptual tools that have special value for the social sciences. This perceptive and thorough volume will be useful to sociologists and other social scientists interested in chaos and complexity theory.

Frederick Turner
Foreword
Chaos and Social Science

 
 
Preface
 
PART ONE: EMERGING NEW DIRECTIONS: MYTHS AND THEORIES
Bob Price
The Myth of Postmodern Science
Mary E Lee
From Enlightenment to Chaos
Toward Nonmodern Social Theory

 
Kevin Mihata
The Persistence of 'Emergence'
Kurt W Back
Chaos and Complexity
Necessary Myths

 
Thomas S Smith
Nonlinear Dynamics and the Micro-Macro Bridge
Euel Elliot and L Douglas Kiel
Nonlinear Dynamics, Complexity and Public Policy
Use, Misuse and Applicability

 
Helmut Michael Staubmann
Self-Organization of the Economy
A System-Theoretical Reconsideration of Georg Simmel's Philosophy of Money

 
William Sims Bainbridge
The Omicron Point Sociological Application of the Anthropic Theory
Alvin M Saperstein
The Origins of Order and Disorder in Physical and Social Deterministic Systems
 
PART TWO: PRELIMINARY THINKING ABOUT METHODS
William F Stroup II
Webs of Chaos
Implications for Research Designs

 
R J Bird
Chaos and Social Reality
An Emergent Perspective

 
Ben Goertzel
Chaos and Pattern in Complex Systems
 
PART THREE: CONCEPTUAL MODELS AND APPLICATIONS
Lutz-Michael Alisch, Shahram Azizighanbari and Martin Bargfeldt
Dynamics of Children's Friendships
Sara Horsfall and Elizabeth Maret
Short-Term Changes in the Domestic Division of Labor
Intimations of Complexity

 
Thomas S Smith and Gregory T Stevens
Biological Foundations of Social Interaction
Explorations of Nonlinear Dynamics in Arousal-Modulation

 
Eve Passerini and David Bahr
Collective Behavior Following Disasters
A Cellular Automation Model

 
Kakthleen M Carley
Organizations and Constraint-Based Adaptation
Kevin Dooley et al
Chaotic Behavior in Society
Adolescent Childbearing in Texas 1964-1990

 
Raymond A Eve
So Where Are We Now? A Final Word

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Hardcover
ISBN: 9780761908890
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ISBN: 9780761908906
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