Mathematical Modeling of Social Processes and Sociology
Tolstova Yu.N.
Dr. Sci. (Sociol.), Prof., National Research University «Higher School of Economics»; Chief Researcher, Institute of Sociology, Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia untolstova@mail.ru
Tolstova Yu.N. Mathematical Modeling of Social Processes and Sociology. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2018. No 9. P. 104-112
In socio-economic studies, an important role is played by the so-called methods of mathematical modeling of social processes, the scale of development of which allows us to speak of their totality as a relatively autonomous branch of science. This branch was born in the economy. However, the problems solved by it, often arise in sociology. Sociologists are very weakly interested for appropriate methods. This article analyzes the causes of this phenomenon; the nature of those basic tasks that are solved with the help of modeling is described; their importance for the sociologist is justified; it specifies how to adapt the modeling methods to the needs of sociology. Examples of the practical use of modeling in the study are taken from the publication of Nor-Arevyan, Tarasenko, Ugolnitsky, mentioned above. An anonymous article can be considered an introduction to this publication of three authors, allowing a sociologist to assess its significance for sociology.
Nor-Arevyan O.A., Tarasenko L. V., Ougolnitsky G. A. (2018) Differential-game Modeling of Social Partnership (in the System of Continuing Professional Education as an Example): a Methodology of Interdisciplinary Research. Sotsiologicheskie issledovanija [Sociological Studies]. No. 4: 15–24. (In Russ.)