Explaining Social Change : an Analytical Approach

Analytical sociology is a middle-range approach to sociological theorizing which seeks to develop precise and realistic action-based explanations of various social phenomena. At the heart of the analytical approach is the idea that acceptable explanations must detail the mechanisms through which the phenomena to be explained were brought about. In this article I discuss the most important elements of this approach and I try to illustrate the various components involved in an explanation of social change. The analytical approach adopted here seeks to closely integrate mechanism-based theories of action and interaction, and agent-based computational modelling. The article is organized in the following way: first I present the guiding ideas behind the mechanisms approach. Second I discuss various mechanisms of action and interaction to illustrate what it is all about. Third I use a socalled agent-based model for illustrating how one can link individual-level mechanisms to social outcomes. Fourth I show how important it is to empirically calibrate these types of models. And fifth, and finally, I round it all up with some concluding remarks.La sociología analítica es una aproximación a la teorización social «de alcance intermedio» que persigue desarrollar explicaciones precisas, realistas y basadas en la acción acerca de diversos fenómenos sociales. En el núcleo del enfoque analítico se encuentra la idea de que las explicaciones aceptables deben detallar los mecanismos a través de los cuales se produjeron los fenómenos a explicar. En este artículo discuto los elementos más importantes de este enfoque e intento ilustrar los diversos componentes que integran la explicación del cambio social. El enfoque analítico adoptado aquí busca integrar estrechamente las teorías de la acción y la interacción basadas en mecanismos con los modelos computacionales basados en agentes. El artículo se organiza de la siguiente manera: primero, presento las ideas-guía que subyacen al enfoque de los mecanismos. Segundo, discuto varios mecanismos de acción e interacción con objeto de ilustrar cómo funciona el enfoque. Tercero, utilizo un modelo basado en la agencia para ilustrar cómo pueden vincularse los mecanismos de nivel individual con los resultados sociales. Cuarto, muestro lo importante que resulta el calibrar empíricamente este tipo de modelos. Y, quinto y último, redondeo todo lo anterior con unas observaciones finales

Social Interactions and Unemployment

This paper is concerned with social interactions and their importance for unemployment. A theoretical model is specified in which the social and psychological costs of unemployment depend upon the unemployment level. The theoretical analysis reveals social multiplier effects, and shows that multiple unemployment equilibria may emerge. Data on all 20- to 24-year-olds living in the Stockholm metropolitan area during the 1990s are used to test key hypotheses derived from the model. The focus is on the role of neighborhood-based reference groups, and the results support the theoretical predictions: unemployment levels vary more across neighborhood-groups than what would be expected based on variation in observable characteristics, and individuals' transition rates out of unemployment appear to be strongly influenced by the unemployment level within their neighborhood-based reference groups.Social interaction; social norms; social multipliers; unemployment

Sociological Individualism

Peer reviewe

Chapter 3 Analytical Sociology amidst a Computational Social Science Revolution

"The Handbook of Computational Social Science is a comprehensive reference source for scholars across multiple disciplines. It outlines key debates in the field, showcasing novel statistical modeling and machine learning methods, and draws from specific case studies to demonstrate the opportunities and challenges in CSS approaches. The Handbook is divided into two volumes written by outstanding, internationally renowned scholars in the field. This first volume focuses on the scope of computational social science, ethics, and case studies. It covers a range of key issues, including open science, formal modeling, and the social and behavioral sciences. This volume explores major debates, introduces digital trace data, reviews the changing survey landscape, and presents novel examples of computational social science research on sensing social interaction, social robots, bots, sentiment, manipulation, and extremism in social media. The volume not only makes major contributions to the consolidation of this growing research field, but also encourages growth into new directions. With its broad coverage of perspectives (theoretical, methodological, computational), international scope, and interdisciplinary approach, this important resource is integral reading for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers engaging with computational methods across the social sciences, as well as those within the scientific and engineering sectors.

Mesolevel networks and the diffusion of social movements: The case of the Swedish Social Democratic Party

In analyzing the spatial diffusion of the Swedish Social Democratic Party, this article introduces the notion of a mesolevel network. A mesolevel network is a social network that differs in three important respects from interpersonal microlevel networks directly linking prior and potential adopters of a practice to one another: (1) it is generated by a different causal process than the microlevel network; (2) it tends to be much sparser than the microlevel network; and (3) the typical edge of a mesolevel network bridges much longer sociometric and geographic distances than the typical edge of a microlevel network. These types of mesolevel networks are important because they can dramatically influence the speed at which a contagious practice will diffuse. The mesolevel network focused upon in this article is the network that emerged out of the travel routes of political agitators affiliated with the Social Democratic Party. Computational modeling shows that the diffusion of the Social Democratic Party is likely to have been considerably influenced by the structure of this network. Empirical analyses of the founding of party organizations during the period 1894-1911 support these theoretical predictions and suggest that this mesolevel network was of considerable importance for the diffusion of the Swedish Social Democratic Party

A good professional reputation is in the eye of the beholder

Reputation is audience-specific, write Gokhan Ertug, Tamar Yogev, Yonghoon Lee and Peter Hedströ

Capacitive biosensor based on synthetic receptors for multiplex monitoring of amphetamine-type stimulants in the water system

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Mortalidade entre Idosos no Estado do Paraná e no município de Foz do Iguaçu

Trabalho de Conclusão da Residência apresentado ao Programa de Residência Multiprofissional em Saúde da Família da Universidade Federal da Integração Latino- Americana, como requisito parcial para obtenção do título de Especialista em Saúde da Família na modalidade de residência. Orientador: Walfrido Svoboda. (Prof. Dr. do Curso de Saúde Coletiva - UNILA) e Coorientadora: Carmen Justina Gamarra. (Profa. Dra. do Curso de Saúde Coletiva - UNILA)Objetivo: Analisar a tendência da mortalidade entre idosos residentes no estado do Paraná e no município de Foz do Iguaçu, no período de 2001 a 2012, e mortalidade proporcional por capítulos CID-10. Método: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, ecológico de série temporal. Os dados dos óbitos e da população idosa de 60 anos ou mais foram obtidos por meio do Sistema de Informação de mortalidade SIM/DATASUS. Foram calculadas as taxas anuais de mortalidade bruta e padronizadas por sexo e faixa etária. Para os dados de mortalidade proporcional por capítulos CID-10 foram calculados os percentuais para os anos selecionados de 2001; 2006; 2011; 2016. As informações foram tabuladas em planilhas do Excel, sendo construídas tabelas e gráficos e analisados por meio de regressão linear simples. Resultados: Observou-se tendência declinante da mortalidade dos idosos no estado do Paraná e no município de Foz do Iguaçu. Ao longo do estudo verificou-se que as doenças do aparelho circulatório constituem-se como a primeira e principal causa de óbito, seguido das neoplasias e doenças do aparelho respiratório. Conclusão: No período analisado, a tendência da mortalidade padronizadas dos idosos obteve decréscimo tanto no Estado como no município, sendo observados maiores coeficientes de mortalidade entre os homens quando comparado às mulheres.Objective: To analyze the mortality trend among elderly people living in the state of Para- ná and in the municipality of Foz do Iguaçu, from 2001 to 2012, and proportional mortality by ICD-10 chapters. Method: This is a descriptive, ecological time series study. Data on deaths and the elderly population aged 60 years and over were obtained using the SIM / Datasus Mortality Infor- mation System. Gross annual mortality rates were standardized and standardized by gen- der and age group. The information was tabulated in Excel spreadsheets, and tables and graphs were constructed and analyzed using simple linear regression. Results: In general terms, a declining trend in mortality among the elderly was observed in the state of Paraná and in the city of Foz do Iguaçu. Throughout the study it was verified that diseases of the circulatory system constitute the first and main cause of death, fol- lowed by neoplasias and diseases of the respiratory system. Conclusion: In the period analyzed, the general trend of standardized mortality among the elderly decreased both in the state and in the municipality, with higher mortality rates among men when compared to womenObjetivo: Analizar la tendencia de la mortalidad entre ancianos residentes en el estado de Paraná y en el municipio de Foz do Iguaçu, en el período de 2001 a 2012, y mortali- dad proporcional por capítulos CID-10. Método: Se trata de un estudio descriptivo, eco- lógico de serie temporal. Los datos de mortalidad y de la población de la tercera edad (mayor de 60años) fueron obtenidos por medio del sistema de información de mortalidad SIM/DATASUS. Fueron calculadas las tasas anuales de mortalidad bruta y estandariza- das por sexo y edad. Las informaciones fueron tabuladas en planillas de cálculo Micro- soft Excel, siendo construidas tablas, gráficos e analizados por medio de regresión linear simple. Resultados: En términos generales fue observada la tendencia declinante de la mortali- dad en personas de la tercera edad en el Estado de Paraná y en el Municipio de Foz de Iguazú. A lo largo de este estudio, se verifico que las enfermedades del aparato circula- torio se consideran como la primera causa de muerte, seguido por Cáncer e enfermeda- des del Aparato Respiratorio. Conclusión: En el periodo analizado, la tendencia de la mortalidad estandarizada en personas de la tercera edad obtuvo decrecimos tanto en el Estado de Paraná como en el Municipio, siendo observados mayores coeficientes de mortalidad en hombres compara- do con mujere