Analysis Of Social Systems Research Articles

From Learning Ecologies to a Social Ecosystem Model for Learning and Skills

The growing relevance of socio-ecological systems (SESs) thinking reflects both the challenges of an anthropogenic poly crisis and attempts to understand the complexities of societal development in an era of globalisation. The article begins by suggesting there are two related variants of SES thinking—relationships between the natural and human worlds (Variant 1) and whole social and human system analysis using metaphorical transfer and theorisation of natural ecological principles (Variant 2). This article elaborates Variant 2 through the development a social ecosystem model (SEM) applied to post-compulsory education and skills development. An exploration of the SEM is conducted through a review of the literatures on ‘Learning Ecologies’ to assess the strengths and limitations of this human ecological approach. Perceived limitations are addressed by the development of the SEM that adds a political economy dimension to the learning ecological model, which is then applied to the field of learning and skills in the English context in support of an inclusive and place-based approach to vocational education and training (VET). The article concludes by suggesting that the SEM can be further expanded by its application to transitioning to more sustainable futures, being developed by scholars of indigenous communities and populations of the Global South, that arguably brings Variant 2 of SESs thinking closer to Variant 1.

Variegated Platform Urbanism: Social Credit and the City

The development of a digital social credit system in China has sparked debates around urban governance and citizenship performance. Although China’s social credit system is portrayed as a single technical system, the article offers a new perspective on digital social credit focused on geographical variegation. We analyze how variegation is manifested through use of multiple data streams and a diverse range of aims operationalized in various social credit systems at the municipal level. Social credit can be seen as part of algorithmic urban governance and an instrument of urban citizenship performance through scoring, ranking, incentives, and punishments. Analysis of social credit systems’ development in Chinese cities contributes to debates around the role of the urban Global East and evolution of digital and algorithmic governance in and beyond China.

Sociology and moral character: Diagnostic, agnostic, or gnostic?

ABSTRACT This article suggests three orientations within sociology toward issues of morality and character development. The first stems from Durkheim, one where sociological tools diagnose the operation of any society and its constituent parts, including typifications of the individual. This tradition holds that sociologists can help diagnose society-specific problems and failings and participate in addressing them. The second is Weberian, the notion that sociologists need to be value-neutral in their science. This approach is more agnostic in terms of prescribing fixes to social structures and attempts a more dispassionate analysis of social systems. The third traces to some origins of the field highlighting moral injustices in contemporary society, holding that there is, in fact, a ‘right’ way to understand human character and potential. Some adherents of this echo ancient gnostic proclamations of holding true insight into the nature of natural and social life, while other, more DuBois-ian strands represent fundamental challenges to existing power structures. Ultimately, the paper concludes that sociological insight is vital for fully contextualizing the forces shaping the teaching, enactment, and consequences of moral character, but the author is less clear about which Ideal Type best captures the discipline’s potential.

МОДЕЛИ ТЕОРИИ ГРАФОВ КАК ИНСТРУМЕНТ МОДЕЛИРОВАНИЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИОННЫХ СИСТЕМ (ЗАДАЧА О КЛИКЕ)

The demand for graph theory methods in modeling the process of managing social and economic systems is primarily due to the convenience of graphical display of complex systems, which simplifies their analysis and understanding. At the same time, such a representation allows analyzing the connections between var-ious elements of social and economic systems, which makes it possible to identify key factors that influ-ence the system under study. The aim of the study is to consider the pos¬sibility of using graph theory as a tool for modeling organizational systems using the example of the clique problem. Methods. To solve the problems, it is proposed to use heuristic algorithms based on the use of experience and intuition. In this case, heuristics are used associated with the selection of elements with the greatest weight or the selection of elements covering the largest number of elements. A set of graph theory problems with an algorithmic con-nection is shown, that is, based on the algorithms for solving one of them, it is possible to obtain a solution for a number of practically important types of problems. The importance of this circumstance lies in the fact that these problems are NP-complete for solving, for which there are no effective solution algorithms. Results. An approximate scheme of application of graph theory problems as a tool for analysis and opti-mization of social and economic systems is given, allowing to identify the most important elements of the system, determine their interrelations and assess their impact on the overall structure and functioning. Con-clusion. As a basic problem allowing to solve several other practically important problems, it is proposed to use the problem of a clique, the solution of which allows to do this. The main problem in this case is to ob-tain information about whether the graph obtained at the next step is a clique or not. An answer to this question is given, which greatly simplifies the process of finding a clique, and, therefore, solving a whole complex of problems using the concept of an additional graph.

АДАПТАЦІЯ СИСТЕМ СОЦІАЛЬНОГО ЗАХИСТУ ДО ВИКЛИКІВ СУЧАСНОЇ ЕКОНОМІКИ

The article is devoted to the analysis of social protection systems in the context of technological development and demographic changes, as well as to the study of strategies for their adaptation to new conditions to overcome the challenges of the modern national economy. The basic methods of the article are scientific methods of analysis, synthesis and generalisation, which were used to study social protection systems; to identify the existing challenges of the modern economy caused by technological and demographic changes and their impact on social protection systems, as well as the comparison method, which demonstrated the existing problematic issues in the national social protection system and the development of strategies for its further development. The article establishes that changes in the modern economy, technology and demography require adaptation of social protection systems to new conditions. In this context, the article describes the content of social protection systems; substantiates the role of technological development in adapting social protection systems; considers demographic challenges and their impact on social protection systems; identifies innovations in social protection systems; and summarises strategies for adapting social protection systems to overcome the challenges of the modern national economy. In addition, the impact of automation and artificial intelligence on the labour market and the need for social protection of working-age people due to forced unemployment is determined. The article identifies the possibilities of using digital technologies to optimise administrative processes and increase the availability of social protection services. At the same time, positive trends in the integration of information technology into the provision of social services in Ukraine have been identified. The author points out the consequences for pension systems and health care of the increase in the average age of the population and the decline in the number of labour force. The means of social protection in connection with the changing structure of families and the increasing number of single people are investigated. A comprehensive assessment is made and practical recommendations are provided on possible strategies for adapting social protection systems to new conditions to meet the challenges of the modern national economy, the priority of which is to overcome poverty in Ukraine and improve the quality of life of its citizens. Today, due to the permanent dynamic changes taking place in the modern economy, the topic under consideration still contains insufficiently researched and problematic aspects that require further scientific study and substantiation based on the materials of this article.

The Analysis of Social and Situational Systems as Components of Human Errors Resulting in Navigational Accidents

As in any industry exposed to risk, human and organizational factors are the main stakes of maritime safety. Understanding the causes and risks of maritime accidents is integral to the sustainability of shipping. The investigation of marine accidents is a crucial tool for their identification in areas related to operations and ships, including social and situational systems, their design, and technical systems. The authors conducted a cause–effect analysis of marine incidents. For this purpose, case-by-case analysis and an Ishikawa diagram were used, which is a tool that helps identify actual or potential causes of accidents. The study showed that by far the most significant cross-section of causes of accidents were elements of social and situational systems that affect the safety of the ship, crew, and environment. The least significant contribution came from the machinery area. Through the detailed descriptions, a picture emerges not so much of a lack of knowledge of the regulations as of a failure to comply with existing procedures or best practices. In the authors’ opinion, more emphasis is needed on preventive measures, including safety culture, training, competence assessment, and increased awareness of the need for sustainability.

A self-evolving network-based artificial society model for the experiment analysis of complex social system

Powered by advanced information technology, more and more complex social systems are exhibiting characteristics of complex networks. In consideration of the cost, legal and institutional constraints on the study of social systems in real world, the computational experiment method has emerged as a novel and powerful computational theory and tool for the quantitative analysis of complex social systems. However, how to map the dynamic network features of the real world into artificial society models is an urgent issue confronting the computational experiments method. In this paper, based on the theory of complex networks and complex adaptive systems, we propose a dynamic self-evolving network-based artificial society modeling method to achieve the autonomous evolution of the whole social network. The method abstracts the artificial society into an individual node model and a global network model: the individual model evolves autonomously through individual behavior rules, which continuously changes the topology of the global network model, and then presents the emergent phenomenon of the artificial society system. And then, the validity of the model is demonstrated by using the world trade network as the case study. The experiment results show that the self-evolving network-based artificial society modeling method proposed in this paper provides a new perspective and tool for studying the network evolution characteristics of complex social systems.

Challenging Western Legal Orientalism: A Comparative Analysis of Chinese Municipal Social Credit Systems

Challenging Western Legal Orientalism: A Comparative Analysis of Chinese Municipal Social Credit Systems

Guest Editorial Special Issue on Advanced Cognitive Computing for Data-Driven Computational Social Systems

Computational social systems (CSSs) focus on topics such as modeling, simulation, analysis, and understanding of social systems from the quantitative and/or computational perspective. “Systems” can be man–man, man–machine, and machine–machine organizations and adversarial situations as well as social media structures and their dynamics <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[1]</xref> , <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref2" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[2]</xref> . With the advance of the Internet of Things and communication technologies, various kinds of data from diverse areas can be acquired nowadays. As a result, CSSs are becoming ever more complex. Data-driven CSSs aim to conduct pre-competitive research on architectures and design, modeling, and analysis techniques for cyber-physical systems, with emphasis on making full use of big data and artificial intelligence. These applications include transportation systems, automation, security, smart buildings, smart cities, medical systems, energy generation and distribution, water distribution, agriculture, military systems, process control, asset management, and robotics <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref3" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[3]</xref> , <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref4" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[4]</xref> , <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref5" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[5]</xref> . However, due to the progressive transformation from host-centric networking to information-centric networking, CSSs pose fundamental challenges in multiple aspects, such as heterogeneous data generation, efficient data sensing and collection, real-time data processing, and greater request arrival rates. Thus, there is a great need for a powerful way that can deal with emerging issues in data-driven CSSs more efficiently and effectively in the age of big data.

Family Values: Category and Structure

The aim of the work is to pose the problem of studying family values in the focus of category and structure. Research objectives: to consider the classification of the category "family values", to reveal the classification of the structure of family values. The object of the study is family values, the subject of the study is the category, structure of family values. The article discusses approaches, the category of "family values", the structure of family values. The author reveals the categories of "family", "modern or non-family values", "traditional family values", focuses on the component basis of family values. The methodological basis of the research consists of the principles and categories of dialectics, methods of analysis and synthesis, system-structural analysis of social systems. Main conclusions: 1. The category of "family values" is studied by researchers within the framework of intra-family, family-extra-family, personal-family constructs. 2. The structure of family values is represented by three systems with one-term, two-term, three-term bases. The most common is a structure consisting of a single-member classification of the family by family elements (matrimony / parenthood, kinship). The author's main contribution to the research of the topic is to identify approaches to the classification of "family values" and the structure of family values, the components of these systems are revealed. The scope of application of the research results is an addition to the existing scientific knowledge in this field of research, inclusion in the programs of special courses of universities in the areas of socio–cultural dynamics, family studies.

Computational Experiments for Complex Social Systems—Part I: The Customization of Computational Model

Computational experiments have emerged as a new method for quantitative analysis of complex social systems. It has been applied to many interdisciplinary research fields, such as economics, finance, and epidemiology. Though the representation form of computational experiments is relatively flexible, the real system is more complex. Therefore, it is important to seek a balance between the flexibility of computational modeling and the credibility of conclusion. This article proposes a customized design framework for computational experiment models, so as to meet the diverse application demands of computational experiments in different fields. Finally, this article outlines some typical applications of computational experiments to provide a roadmap for its rapid development and widespread application.

Emergence of protests during the COVID-19 pandemic: quantitative models to explore the contributions of societal conditions

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an upsurge of protests. The emergence of civil resistance movements is often associated with various conditions of social systems. The analysis of social systems also shows the importance of considering the behaviour time scale and in particular slow-fast dynamics. The fine-grained datasets of the sudden and dramatic disruptive force of the pandemic can be used to better grasp the different dynamics of this social phenomenon. This paper proposes a holistic approach to explore the relationship between societal conditions and the emergence of protests in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. First, a literature survey was performed to identify key conditions that lead to the emergence of protests. These conditions and underlying relations have been captured in a causal loop diagram to conceptualise the emergence of civil resistance as a result of intertwined dynamics. A data set is constructed for quantitative analysis. By means of statistical and computational modelling we conduct a quantitative analysis in which we compare the protest dynamics of 27 countries during the pandemic. We construct a systems dynamics model to test the explanatory value of different theoretical models on causal relationships, as our results demonstrate a strong need for other modelling approaches that better capture the complexity and underlying dynamics of protests. Our analysis suggests that while models could improve their understanding of when civil resistance might happen by incorporating variables that analyse fast changes in social systems, incorporating variables that analyse slow developments of structural conditions might further improve estimates for the severity of such outbreaks.

Analysis of social vulnerability index in Watershed Bengawan Solo downstream

Purpose of this research to know 1) the level of social vulnerability, 2) socio economic description, and 3) mapping of comparison of social vulnerability in Watershed of Bengawan Solo covering Bojonegoro, Tuban, Lamongan and Gresik. The method used in this research by using Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI) method as social vulnerability analysis tool and Geography Information System (GIS) analysis tool to map the area and its vulnerability level. The results showed the highest level of social vulnerability with the highest score of SoVI score obtained by Tuban Regency with SoVI score of 7, then Bojonegoro with SoVI score of 6, Lamongan with SoVI score of 4, and Gresik with SoVI score of 1. Bojonegoro And Kabupaten Tuban have the same highest score on the components of social vulnerability level, then Lamongan regency, and the lowest level of social vulnerability is in Gresik regency. For the grade of social vulnerability, Kabupaten Tuban and Bojonegoro are categorized into high social vulnerability classes, Lamongan District with moderate social vulnerability, and Gresik Regency with the lowest social vulnerability.

Social Systems in the Dynamics of Development of the Agricultural Community of La Concordia - Ecuador

This paper discusses the social macro-system that existed during the development of the Ecuadorian community of La Concordia during the twentieth century. It implements theoretical models that allow the analysis of the relevant social systems that were behind the rapid demographic and economic growth of the community of La Concordia, which, during the 20th century, went from being an isolated and inaccessible agricultural and rural town to an autonomous urban center and an important agro-industrial production hub. The research defines and uses concepts developed within cultural anthropology and systems theory to explain the state and configuration of the social micro-systems that ended up shaping the community of La Concordia as a social macro-system. The study establishes a diagnosis of the 3 most important social micro-systems for the historical configuration of the social macro-system: Migration, Colonization Dynamics, Corporatism. The study of the dynamics of interaction of the 3 micro-systems results in a social economic panorama that favors development, which is particularly associated with: 1) The relative economic uniformity of a large part of the economically active social layer in the primary and tertiary sectors, which is, for the most part, young. 2) The mobility in the social field and in the labor market, which allows the generation, adaptation and development of economic sectors that respond to population needs and productive potentialities generated in the social dynamics. Mobility is favored by and at the same time enhances the entrepreneurial attitude of the young economically active population. The social dynamics occurring in La Concordia yields a set of potentialities for development that are associated with each of the 3 social micro-systems described in the study.

ENTROPY AND ELECTIONS. Social systems analysis by statistical physics methods

The article proposed a formula for assessing the level of freedom of choice of a person during elections, similar to the formula is used to compare the freedom of elections in the presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine.

Managerial focus of a regional vocational education and training system on the needs of socio-economic development

Introduction. The policy of the European Union and many other countries in the field of education and training of personnel with applied qualifications is traditionally focused on the needs of the economy of territories and the competitiveness of enterprises. Currently, a new organisational and managerial model is being approved in the Russian Federation, related to the world practice of innovative management. Some specific management tools of the targeted focus of VET systems on the needs of the economy have repeatedly been the subject of study. However, it has not been decided yet what specific sets of management tools should be used and how to effectively achieve the dynamic balance of personnel supply and demand in regional labour markets.Aim. The present research aimed to establish the features of the targeted managerial focusing of the activities of the regional VET systems on the needs of the socio-economic development of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation.Methodology and research methods. The research methodology is based on the following principles and approaches: system- and activity-based analysis of social objects, comparative analysis and modelling of social systems. The authors applied the metrological principle to compare the obtained values of indicators/indicators of the activity of VET systems with the “standard”, which is used as threshold values set by the method of expert assessments or by average values of indicators in current Russian monitoring studies. Aggregated indices were calculated as sums of normalised values of corresponding indicators groups.The following research methods were applied: questioning, expert assessment method, scaling, web analysis, content analysis of documents, methods of mathematical statistics in the processing of sociological data, methods of analysis, synthesis, generalisation, comparison, and abstraction in the interpretation of research results.The data sources were open-source databases (websites of the government of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, educational authorities, and professional educational organisations); statistical information; expert assessments of regional specialists and specialists of executive authorities in the field of education.Results and scientific novelty. As a result of the study, it was found that the management focus tools of the pilot regional VET system do not fully correspond to the needs of regionally oriented development. Regional differentiation is significant in accordance with most of the parameters, which characterise management tools for orienting the activities of the VET systems to the demands of the external environment. The spread in the values of indicators for the pilot regions reaches 80 %. According to several indicators, the identified differences are due to the different economic conditions of the regions. However, most of the parameters, which characterise the adaptability of regional VET systems, are not related to the economic component of the development of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and, are determined mainly by the factors of educational resources management and management models used by educational systems and individual professional educational organisations.Practical significance. The results obtained in the study make it possible to highlight the problem areas in the management of the VET system in the region and to identify reserves for enhancing the compliance of the conditions and results of the VET system and educational organisations with the needs of the socio-economic development of regions.

Compound Grey-Logistic Model and Its Application

Logistic regression model is widely used in ecology and in the analysis of social economic systems, because of its good adaptability. In order to improve the measurement accuracy of logistic model, this paper proposes a new method. A compound grey-logistic model is developed to carry out the grey transformation of the original data. Practice shows that the grey transformation data has better simulation accuracy; at the same time, grey transformation can reduce the observation noise of the original data. Mean absolute percentage error index has been used to evaluate the accuracy of prediction model, and information entropy can be used to evaluate the change of information entropy of forecasting data. In this paper, three cases are used to verify the applicability of grey-logistic model. From the perspective of the type of original data, the three cases represent three different data conditions: sufficient data, insufficient data, and fragmentary data. The cases represent different related fields: market share data, economic growth data, and R&amp;D output data. The results show that the proposed grey-logistic method can effectively carry out the population growth analysis.

The methods of scenario designing for the development of regional systems of vocational education and training

Introduction.Despite the increasing importance of the vocational education and training systems in the developed countries, with rare exceptions, there are no strategic management tools adequate to the present context. The system of vocational education and training (VET), being a complex and multidimensional object, requires adequate approaches to manage its development. The present article demonstrates one of these approaches based on forecasting possible system states in the long term, identifying and comparing alternative development scenarios. The requirements for describing scenarios for the development of regional vocational education and training system, including the possible structure of the description and parameters of the scenarios, are presented and justified. The advantages of an approach to forecasting, based on a comprehensive qualitative description of possible states of the regional ecosystem of VET, are shown.The aimof the present article was to demonstrate a scientific approach to long-term forecasting of the development of vocational education and training.Methodology and research methods. The current research is based on the methodology of system analysis of social objects, using the methods of comparative analysis and modeling of social systems, scenario planning and expert methods.Results and scientific novelty.As a result of the research, a methodology for the scientific description of scenarios for the development of vocational education and training, under the influence of a set of probable factors, was developed. The novelty of the results lies in the possibility of constructing a number of alternative scenarios using relatively stable model modules.Practical significance.The research results can be applied in the process of strategic planning for the development of vocational education and training in the regions of the Russian Federation, as well as for the regional vocational education and training systems of other countries.

The Eco-Techno Spectrum: Exploring Knowledge Systems’ Challenges in Green Infrastructure Management

Infrastructure crises are not only technical problems for engineers to solve—they also present social, ecological, financial, and political challenges. Addressing infrastructure problems thus requires a robust planning process that includes examination of the social and ecological systems supporting infrastructure, alongside technical systems. An integrative Social, Ecological, and Technological Systems (SETS) analysis of infrastructure solutions can complement the planning process by revealing potential trade-offs that are often overlooked in standard procedures. We explore the interconnected SETS of the infrastructure problem in the US through comparative case studies of green infrastructure (GI) development in Portland and Baltimore. Currently a popular infrastructure solution to a wide variety of urban ills, GI is the use and mimicry of ecological components (e.g., plants) to perform municipal services (e.g., stormwater management). We develop the ecological-technological spectrum—or ‘eco-techno spectrum’—as a framing tool to bridge all three SETS dimensions. The eco-techno spectrum becomes a platform to explore the institutional knowledge system dynamics of GI development where social dimensions are organized across ecological and technological aspects of GI, exposing how governance differs across specific forms of ecological and technological hybridity. In this study, we highlight the knowledge system challenges of urban planning institutions as a key consideration in the realization of innovative infrastructure crisis ‘fixes.’ Disconnected definition and measurement of GI emerge as two distinct challenges across the knowledge systems examined. By revealing and discussing these challenges, we can begin to recognize—and better plan for—gaps in municipal planning knowledge systems, promoting decisions that address the roots of infrastructure crises rather than treating only their symptoms.

Homo Sapiens Adaptation and the Law of Natural Selection

The article discusses whether the general biological law of natural selection works in formed human communities. The author proceeds from the understanding of natural selection as a mechanism of self-preservation and self-development of living systems, carried out through adaptation to environmental conditions. The author considers adaptation as a modus existendi of self-purpose substantive systems of biological and social type, capable of preserving the fact and quality of their life by changing its significant parameters. The article considers modes of adaptation of biological systems (individual and collective, somatic and ethological, passive and active), which determine the criteria of intraspecific and interspecific selection by bodily or behavioral properties. Turning to the analysis of social systems, the author considers human activity not as an alternative to adaptation, but as a special kind of it — active behavioral adaptation, acting in the form of labor, based on the synthesis of verbal and conceptual thinking with an instrumental attitude to the environment. The article criticizes the point of view about the absence of qualitative boundaries between human and animal lifestyles, which gained strength after the primatological revolution in biology. The author is convinced of the uniqueness of man, whose activity creates a fundamentally new socio-cultural reality based on the production and reproduction of social life, the institutional division of labor and value-normative regulation of behavior. In the sociocultural environment, of course, the laws of biological heredity persist, affecting the way people live, but not determining it. Similarly, in human communities there is intrapopulation and interpopulation competition, which, with the development of history, loses the form of natural selection by somatic and ethological traits. The latter retains its force only at the beginning of human history, manifesting itself, in particular, in the process of formation of somatic racial differences between humans. According to the author, the action of natural selection ceases as a result of the Great Neolithic Revolution, associated with the transition from the economy of the foraging type to the economy of the producing type.