Social Process Model Research Articles

Agent-Based Modeling for Archaeologists: Part 1 of 3

ABSTRACTFormal models of past human societies informed by archaeological research have a high potential for shaping some of the most topical current debates. Agent-based models, which emphasize how actions by individuals combine to produce global patterns, provide a convenient framework for developing quantitative models of historical social processes. However, being derived from computer science, the method remains largely specialized in archaeology. In this paper and the associated tutorial, we provide a jargon-free introduction to the technique, its potential and limits as well as its diverse applications in archaeology and beyond. We discuss the epistemological rationale of using computational modeling and simulation, classify types of models, and give an overview of the main concepts behind agent-based modeling.

A dual-functional social innovation process model for low-cost houses through university-enabled initiative

Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop a dual-functional university-enabled social innovation process model on the subject of low-cost houses that addresses the distinct elements of social obligation and university teaching–learning. Design/methodology/approach This study has predominantly adopted a longitudinal single case study approach, where data have been collected through interviews, survey, participant observation, direct observation and document review. The case study details on the social innovation processes, which was conducted by Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. Findings This study has demonstrated the social innovation processes toward addressing the issue of insufficient low-cost houses, concurrently benefitting the teaching–learning dimension. Three sub-innovations have been highlighted in the developed social innovation process model, which are collaboration process, teaching–learning and design-construct innovation. Research limitations/implications Because the study has been based on a single prototype project, further investigation is necessary to confirm the applicability of the full-fledged model. The established social innovation process model is also suggested to be tested in other social fields. Practical implications The established social innovation process model has created a new perspective that enables universities to contribute in providing shelter for low-income families, simultaneously enhancing the teaching–learning dimension through experiential learning. Social implications The dual-functional social innovation process model provides a synergistic relationship between the university and the society. Ultimately, the model could address social issues pertaining to low-income families with the built of low-cost houses, concurrently preparing graduates who are highly marketable, which could reduce the rate of graduate unemployment in the country. Originality/value The development of the social innovation process model for low-cost houses through university-enabled initiative is a novel establishment, particularly for developing nations, as limited studies have been conducted in this regard. The significant insights into how university could play a role in addressing major social issues, along with their core focus (teaching–learning and research development), is a breakthrough for further diffusions of social innovation by universities.

Why are restricted food items still sold after the implementation of the school store policy? the case of South Korea

The South Korean government has banned sales of unhealthy foods in school stores since 2009; however, most school stores still sell restricted foods. This study aimed to understand the implementation processes and the reasons for incomplete implementation of the school nutrition policy in South Korea. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 policy actors including school store owners, school staff, public officials, politicians, employees of food companies, and experts. Observations of foods sold in school stores were conducted. Interview transcripts were analyzed using both emergent codes and an a priori code list (participants, base values, perspectives, and effects) based on Lasswell’s social process model using NVivo 10. All interviewees perceived that school stores complied with the policy well; however, restricted foods were found in all interviewed school stores during the observations. Although all policy actors understood the intent of the policy; some of them were not interested in the policy or were unsatisfied with the policy and its outcomes such as profit loss. Perspectives and values towards the policy were different for each policy actor group. Poor monitoring of school store foods, lack of awareness of the policy, profit-seeking, and lack of interest in school stores were identified as reasons for incomplete implementation of the policy. The findings support the needs for consideration of various actors’ perspectives, especially for those who are affected by the policy, when implementing school nutrition policies. A stronger understanding of various actors’ involvement in policy processes can inform strategies to enhance implementation and thereby reach outcomes that align with the original policy intent.

Understanding generation Z’s travel social decision-making

Purpose – To propose a new decision-making process that Generation Zers adopt when they shop for travel and tourism services through social and mobile applications (i.e., hotels, airlines, attractions, and restaurants). Design – A qualitative research was used to explore the changes and unique characteristics of the Generation Z’s different stages of social travel decision-making. Methodology – A conceptual approach that relies on an extensive literature review of classical decision-making models reflecting the changes and differences in each stage in the process. Approach – The authors rely on Engel-Kollat-Blackwell’s (EKB) consumer decision-making model as a base to understand and propose a modified model. Findings – The authors propose a new social decision-making process model for Generation Z. The proposed model consists of five stages and each step is deeper and more complex than ever before. These stages are as follows: 1) Inspiration, 2) Need for Social Recognition, 3) Planning, Search and Evaluation, 4) Booking, and 5) Post-Booking Evaluation. Originality of the research – The paper is the first study to propose a unique decision-making process for Generation Z travellers in the realm of social and mobile business.

Look at my pearly white teeth: Exploring adolescents' oral health behavior.

Informed by grounded theory, this study explored adolescent oral health behaviors to determine what factors influence them and to develop a substantive theory explaining the social process behind the behaviors identified. Multiple types of data were collected and analyzed simultaneously: demographic and oral health questionnaires, 16 individual interviews, eight small group discussions, field notes, and investigator memoing. Participants were 37 Midwestern adolescents aged 13-18, and most were White or African-American females 14years of age whose parents had at least a high school education. While more than half reported using mouthwash and brushing their teeth regularly, almost all participants described their behavior in terms of relationships, confidence, and attractiveness rather than health. Top motivators were habits learned as children and the desire to be attractive or "kissable." To reflect teens' understanding of "healthy" as good-looking, and their primary concern not with having healthy teeth but with being attractive to peers, our model of the basic social process of adolescent oral health behavior is called "Look at my Pearly White Teeth." Understanding the actual motivations behind adolescent oral health behavior can help public health administrators develop more effective interventions, especially for teens who did not learn healthy habits as children.

Cognitive Social Simulation for Policy Making

Cognitive social simulation is at the intersection of cognitive modeling and social simulation, two forms of computer-based, quantitative modeling and understanding. Cognitive modeling centers on producing precise computational or mathematical models of mental processes (such as human reasoning or decision making), while social simulation focuses on precise models of social processes (such as group discussion or collective decision making). By combining cognitive and social models, cognitive social simulation is poised to address issues concerning both individual and social processes. To better anticipate the implications of policies, detailed simulation enables precise analysis of possible scenarios and outcomes. Thus, cognitive social simulation will have practical applications in relation to policy making in many areas that require understanding at both the individual and the aggregate level.

Feedback enhances greening during disaster recovery: A model of social and ecological processes in neighborhood scale investment

In disaster recovery situations, including the post-Katrina recovery in New Orleans, greening behavior (i.e., the planting of trees, flowers and other plants) is thought to play an important role in social, ecological and economic recovery. In this paper, we use agent-based modeling to investigate and understand the roles of green attachment (which encompasses place attachment and biophilia), engagement in local ecological investment (i.e., greening), and social feedback (where individuals who observe greening become more likely to engage in it). We model this social-ecological feedback process, basing our parameters and assumptions on real-world data and grounding our model in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans. We find that social-ecological feedback enhances greening overall and leads to larger spatially continuous regions with high rates of greening. We also find that social-ecological feedback leads to tipping points in neighborhood greening, with approximately 30% of households needing to engage in greening for it to reach asymptotically high levels. In addition, when green attachment is high, this leads to more widespread greening behavior. We conclude that social-ecological feedback processes such as those modeled here may play important roles in neighborhood recovery after disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

POSITIVE INTEGER SOLUTION OF THE MATRIX EQUATION Xn = A FOR THIRD-ORDER MATRICES IN THE CASE OF POSITIVE INTEGERS n

The problem of the positive integer solution of the equation Xn = A for different-order matrices is important to solve a large range of problems related to the modeling of economic and social processes. The need to solve similar problems also arises in areas such as management theory, dynamic programming technique for solving some differential equations. In this connection, it is interesting to question the existence of positive and positive integer solutions of the nonlinear equations of the form Xn = A for different-order matrices in the case of the positive integer n. The purpose of this work is to explore the possibility of using analytical methods to obtain positive integer solutions of nonlinear matrix equations of the form Xn = A where A, X are the third-order matrices, n is the positive integer. Elements of the original matrix A are integer and positive numbers. The present study found that when the root of the nth degree of the third-order matrix will have zero diagonal elements and nonzero and positive off-diagonal elements, the root of the nth degree of the third-order matrix will have two zero diagonal elements and nonzero positive off-diagonal elements. It was shown that to solve the problem of finding positive integer solutions of the matrix equation for third-order matrices in the case of the positive integer n, the analytical techniques can be used. The article presents the formulas that allow one to find the roots of positive integer matrices for n = 3,…,5. However, the methodology described in the article can be adopted to find the natural roots of the third-order matrices for large n.

PROFESSIONAL IDENTIFICATION: PREREQUISITES OF MODELING

The process of professional identification is derived from the process of primary socialization with appropriate impact of such agents of socialization as a family, a small social group, and an education establishment. The relevance of the study is due to the definition of professional identity of young people in the contemporary socio-economic conditions of formation of the labor force. In this context, this article aims to identify and disclose the key criteria that determine the success of professional identification of the young man, which is reflected in the personal context of his professional satisfaction, and in the state - in the growth of social capital, the development of social potential of the nation and the expansion of social and economic social life trajectories. The research is interdisciplinary in nature. The leading approach in this regard to the study of social problems is economic modeling of social processes, enabling complex to address issues of professional identity in the context of the formation of the labor force. The article presents the methodological background of socio-economic modeling, revealed features of perception of professional identity as the explained variable formed regression identified covariates considered the socio-economic model, a reasonable opportunity to use this approach to study the key trajectories of social development and forecasting possible trends.Article Submissions are of practical value to researchers of socio-economic modeling as common socio-economic processes, and the processes of personality formation and development of the youth strata in society.

THE COLLECTIVE ACTIONS HELD HOSTAGE BY THE AUTHORITARISM

The judicial protection of collective interests represents, at the end of the millennium, one of the most impressive conquests of the Brazilian legal system. The transindividual interests which are particular to mass society are full of political relevance and, to that extent, are capable of transforming stratified judicial concepts. The recognition of these interests and the need to protect them have highlighted their political configuration in Brazil. In this way, the theory of public liberty forged a new “generation” of fundamental rights. In the same way, one can note that, at the constitutional level, the concepts of jurisdiction and litigation were renewed, while some fundamental guarantees were reformed. The most notable revolution, however, might have taken place in the procedural sphere, departing from an individual process model toward a social process model In Brazil, the Judiciary power has also taken advantage of class action lawsuits in terms of rationalization and work projection. The social objective of the judicial function was lost in view of the fragmentation and the pulverization of conflicts, always regarded as individual. There is a notable tendency to replace atomized decisions with a molecular treatment of litigation. Nevertheless, the Executive power has revealed itself to be inattentive to the reality of collective action and has tried to reduce its effectiveness, limiting access to courts, compressing the associative moment, and diminishing the role of the Judiciary. In this perspective, many years after the introduction of judicial protection for collective and diffuse interests in Brazil, the balance would have been positive, had the government not adopted an authoritarian line when applying legal treatment to the matter. It is possible to affirm that collective actions are a part of the current legal routine, despite the attacks which they suffer. The Judiciary power is significantly implanted in this context, it is conscious of its new role and of its renewed importance, and by way of its sentences, it was capable of occupying a position of leadership which points toward future challenges. The only note that rings false in this context is the attitude of the government with relation to the use of Provisional Measures to reverse such a situation, attacking collective actions and trying to diminish their efficiency in order to limit the access to Justice, to frustrate the associative moment and to make the Judiciary seem less important. The Legislative power, complacent or inattentive, has not been able to resist the attacks and to react to the attitudes of the government.

THE COLLECTIVE ACTIONS HELD HOSTAGE BY THE AUTHORITARISM

The judicial protection of collective interests represents, at the end of the millennium, one of the most impressive conquests of the Brazilian legal system. The transindividual interests which are particular to mass society are full of political relevance and, to that extent, are capable of transforming stratified judicial concepts. The recognition of these interests and the need to protect them have highlighted their political configuration in Brazil. In this way, the theory of public liberty forged a new “generation” of fundamental rights. In the same way, one can note that, at the constitutional level, the concepts of jurisdiction and litigation were renewed, while some fundamental guarantees were reformed. The most notable revolution, however, might have taken place in the procedural sphere, departing from an individual process model toward a social process model In Brazil, the Judiciary power has also taken advantage of class action lawsuits in terms of rationalization and work projection. The social objective of the judicial function was lost in view of the fragmentation and the pulverization of conflicts, always regarded as individual. There is a notable tendency to replace atomized decisions with a molecular treatment of litigation. Nevertheless, the Executive power has revealed itself to be inattentive to the reality of collective action and has tried to reduce its effectiveness, limiting access to courts, compressing the associative moment, and diminishing the role of the Judiciary. In this perspective, many years after the introduction of judicial protection for collective and diffuse interests in Brazil, the balance would have been positive, had the government not adopted an authoritarian line when applying legal treatment to the matter. It is possible to affirm that collective actions are a part of the current legal routine, despite the attacks which they suffer. The Judiciary power is significantly implanted in this context, it is conscious of its new role and of its renewed importance, and by way of its sentences, it was capable of occupying a position of leadership which points toward future challenges. The only note that rings false in this context is the attitude of the government with relation to the use of Provisional Measures to reverse such a situation, attacking collective actions and trying to diminish their efficiency in order to limit the access to Justice, to frustrate the associative moment and to make the Judiciary seem less important. The Legislative power, complacent or inattentive, has not been able to resist the attacks and to react to the attitudes of the government.

THE COLLECTIVE ACTIONS HELD HOSTAGE BY THE AUTHORITARISM

The judicial protection of collective interests represents, at the end of the millennium, one of the most impressive conquests of the Brazilian legal system. The transindividual interests which are particular to mass society are full of political relevance and, to that extent, are capable of transforming stratified judicial concepts. The recognition of these interests and the need to protect them have highlighted their political configuration in Brazil. In this way, the theory of public liberty forged a new “generation” of fundamental rights. In the same way, one can note that, at the constitutional level, the concepts of jurisdiction and litigation were renewed, while some fundamental guarantees were reformed. The most notable revolution, however, might have taken place in the procedural sphere, departing from an individual process model toward a social process model In Brazil, the Judiciary power has also taken advantage of class action lawsuits in terms of rationalization and work projection. The social objective of the judicial function was lost in view of the fragmentation and the pulverization of conflicts, always regarded as individual. There is a notable tendency to replace atomized decisions with a molecular treatment of litigation. Nevertheless, the Executive power has revealed itself to be inattentive to the reality of collective action and has tried to reduce its effectiveness, limiting access to courts, compressing the associative moment, and diminishing the role of the Judiciary. In this perspective, many years after the introduction of judicial protection for collective and diffuse interests in Brazil, the balance would have been positive, had the government not adopted an authoritarian line when applying legal treatment to the matter. It is possible to affirm that collective actions are a part of the current legal routine, despite the attacks which they suffer. The Judiciary power is significantly implanted in this context, it is conscious of its new role and of its renewed importance, and by way of its sentences, it was capable of occupying a position of leadership which points toward future challenges. The only note that rings false in this context is the attitude of the government with relation to the use of Provisional Measures to reverse such a situation, attacking collective actions and trying to diminish their efficiency in order to limit the access to Justice, to frustrate the associative moment and to make the Judiciary seem less important. The Legislative power, complacent or inattentive, has not been able to resist the attacks and to react to the attitudes of the government.

How leader role identity influences the process of leader emergence: A social network analysis

Contemporary theories on leadership development emphasize the importance of having a leader identity in building leadership skills and functioning effectively as leaders. We build on this approach by unpacking the role leader identity plays in the leader emergence process. Taking the perspective that leadership is a dynamic social process between group members, we propose a social network-based process model whereby leader role identity predicts network centrality (i.e., betweenness and indegree), which then contributes to leader emergence. We test our model using a sample of 88 cadets participating in a leadership development training course. In support of our model, cadets who possess a stronger leader role identity at the beginning of the course were more likely to emerge as leaders. However this relationship was only mediated by one form of network centrality, indegree centrality, reflecting one's ability to build relationships within one's group. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Dayah collectively as a social movement

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore, find and formulate a mechanism and strategy in social process in Dayah, which can be developed to be a model of new social process applied in public school.Design/methodology/approachThe main objective of this research was to examine the strategy and mechanism of social reproduction in Dayah. The strategy and mechanism of social reproduction in public schools were also observed for comparison. The public schools were high school or vocational high school equivalent to the class in Dayah Mudi Mesra. The selected high schools as the object of comparison were SMAN 1 Samalanga and SMAN 2 Tanjungan, Samalanga. The selected public schools were public schools with similar sociological and psychological background and culture with Dayah Samalanga. This study is a social study using a qualitative approach with phenomenological design. The method used is the case study method; case studies are used as a comprehensive explanation related to the various aspects of a person, group, organization, program, or community situation that is studied, attempted and explored as deeply as possible.FindingsDayah with Islamic culture promises an effective social movement in Acehnese society. Dayah potential power was on the agents or social actor as the initiators of the idea of the creation of a network of social movements among Dayahs in Aceh. The stages of the creation of a social movement until movement crystallization can be modelled by utilizing their expert elite agents that are owned by Dayah in Aceh which is the intellectual elites and clerical elites. In addition, Dayah is a form of Acehnese local wisdom in education and religion that enables social movements to walk more naturally, democratically and educationally. Dayah ability related to Islamic culture as a broader social movement even has been tested at the level of the state and the nation of Indonesia. It is indicated by the creation of democratic process in Indonesia, which is activated by a community of Islam with democratic values as religion doctrine. As social movements, religious communities are able to construct perceptions, thoughts and attitudes in the lower class in response to the post-Suharto democratic change. Collins mentioned that social movements, which are derived from Islamic organizations, are able to show their presence at the local and national level.Originality/valueThe sociological wisdom is its unique social process. Based on preliminary studies, social processes in Dayah are closely related to the cosmopolitan value of Islam. This cosmopolitan value appears in the social order in the Dayah subculture, which appears to be more open to the role of the individual in society as an agent who can achieve a new social class. In this case, Dayah education can be a counter attack against negative social reproduction trends in general education.

Анализ современных европейских направлений в моделировании социальных процессов (по материалам Европейского Конгресса по социальному моделированию 2017 г.)

Анализ современных европейских направлений в моделировании социальных процессов (по материалам Европейского Конгресса по социальному моделированию 2017 г.)

A Social Machine for Transdisciplinary Research

Aim/Purpose: This paper introduces a Social Machine for collaborative sensemaking that the developers have configured to the requirements and challenges of transdisciplinary literature reviews. Background: Social Machines represent a promising model for unifying machines and social processes for a wide range of purposes. A development team led by the author is creating a Social Machine for activities that require users to combine pieces of information from multiple online sources and file types for various purposes. Methodology: The development team has applied emergent design processes, usability testing, and formative evaluation in the execution of the product road map. Contribution: A major challenge of the digital information age is how to tap into large volumes of online information and the collective intelligence of diverse groups to generate new knowledge, solve difficult problems, and drive innovation. A Transdisciplinary Social Machine (TDSM) enables new forms of interactions between humans, machines, and online content that have the potential to (a) improve outcomes of sensemaking activities that involve large collections of online documents and diverse groups and (b) make machines more capable of assisting humans in their sensemaking efforts. Findings: Preliminary findings suggest that TDSM promotes learning and the generation of new knowledge. Recommendations for Practitioners: TDSM has the potential to improve outcomes of literature reviews and similar activities that require distilling information from diverse online sources. Recommendation for Researchers: TDSM is an instrument for investigating sensemaking, an environment for studying various forms of human and machine interactions, and a subject for further evaluation. Impact on Society: In complex areas such as sustainability and healthcare research, TDSM has the potential to make decision-making more transparent and evidence-based, facilitate the production of new knowledge, and promote innovation. In education, TDSM has the potential to prepare students for the 21st century information economy. Future Research: Research is required to measure the effects of TDSM on cross-disciplinary communication, human and machine learning, and the outcomes of transdisciplinary research projects. The developers are planning a multiple case study using design-based research methodology to investigate these topics.

Data Mining Methods and Models for Social and Economic Processes Forecasting

Data Mining Methods and Models for Social and Economic Processes Forecasting

Математическое моделирование экономической структуры общества на примере статистических данных по Пермскому краю

Monetary savings of the population are the subject of research of many specialists, since their detailed study in total with other various economic variables allows for a qualitative analysis of the current social and financial situation and make predictions. The definition of such an economic characteristic of society as the distribution of the population by money savings in practice is a very non-trivial task because of the lack of reliable information on the accumulation of citizens. Often, rather than a distributed value, a constant indicator is used – the average level of household savings. In the case when the savings are distributed according to the normal law in society (as in the developed countries), the replacement of the distributed quantity by a constant is possible to simplify the tasks. It is shown that Perm krai has bimodal structure of society savings, what essentially differs from the normal distribution law and therefore from the mathematical point of view it is unacceptable to replace one with a constant value, but it is necessary to take it into account as a distributed one. This ensures the relevance of this study, whose goal is to identify and analyze the numerical characteristics of the economic structure of Perm krai. The main idea of the work is to apply the mathematical model of the accumulation spectrum of the society of D.S. Chernavskii for Perm krai, the numerical calculation of the model and the economic analysis of the obtained characteristics. Similar numerical calculations of the distribution of the population of Perm krai on savings based on official statistics have not been conducted previously. Methods of economic analysis, mathematical and computer modeling, methods of theories of ordinary differential equations, partial differential equations and stochastic differential equations, probability theory and mathematical statistics are applied. A numerical study of the mathematical model of Perm krai economic society structure was carried out, the most probable stationary levels of population savings in Perm krai were calculated, which approximately amounted to 10 and 63 subsistence minimums for 2016 year. Families seem to accumulate in the vicinity of these savings values, like elementary particles under Brownian motion (this is not a coincidence, since both processes are described by the stochastic differential Fokker-Planck equation in partial derivatives of the parabolic type). Stationary savings levels numerically characterize the consumption standards and the standard of living of a society and are formed on the basis of the value of the consumer basket. In future, it is planned to conduct research on the optimal control of the economic structure of society. Keywords the economic society structure, population distribution density by savings, stationary levels of savings, spectrum of the savings, savings in the Perm Region, economic groups of the population, social stratification, Fokker – Planck equation, money balance equation, mathematical model of D.S. Chernavskii.

О некоторых особенностях численного исследования нелинейных моделей социальных процессов

О некоторых особенностях численного исследования нелинейных моделей социальных процессов

Methods for traffic management efficiency improvement in cities

Abstract A methodology for traffic management in cities provides for extensive use of computer technologies. Modern international experience shows that traffic management in the urban street and road network, first of all, requires a city-wide management system (intelligent transportation system, ITS). Development of a social process model is a complicated task that can be solved under rather severe restrictions. Therefore, most traffic management tasks are not formalized but solved empirically. Two basic approaches to development of network mathematical models of traffic flows, based on a set of analytical models and on microlevel simulation models, are considered by the authors. Capabilities of various software tools that allow performing modeling are reviewed. As a result, a method for forecasting network control actions affecting traffic flows, based on a piecewise-constant approximation of a traffic flow intensity function of time, is suggested. An example of forecasting control actions (cycle shifts) to ensure coordinated control on highways is given. The suggested approach to modeling of traffic flows in cities is rather simple and efficient. Therefore, it can be of practical interest and can be used when forecasting network control actions in intelligent transportation systems, including in real time and for congested sections of the street-and-road network.