Anthropology 179A

Social Dynamics

Spring 2001 TuTh 12:30-1:50
Tuesdays in SSL 145
Thurs in 155 SST (Computer Lab)
Announcements / Assignments List of Links Discussion Board... Topics
Syllabus Data UCI electronic education environment

At bookstore:

  • Theme 1 - 038798738X.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg (12707 bytes) How Nature Works: The Science of Self-Organized Criticality - Per Bak. Amazon: $18.00
  • Theme 2 - 0691015678.01.LZZZZZZZ.gif (12707 bytes) The Complexity of Cooperation: Agent-Based Models of Competition and Cooperation - Robert M. Axelrod; 1997. Paperback Usually ships in 24 hours - List Price: $17.12 - Amazon Price: $13.70
    Instructor: Douglas R. White
    Office: 4169 Social Science Plaza A
    Office Hours: Tues/Th 11:00-12:00 or by Appt, x8495 (Lin 3175 SSPA)
    Phone: (949) 824-5893
    Email: drwhite[.at.]uci.edu

    Welcome to Anthro 179a! Social dynamics, as an approach to understanding society and dynamical problems in social science, is studied through complexity theory and modeling interactions in social networks of various kinds of entities. In this course you will come to understand methods of dynamical analysis, the grounding of complexity theory in the sciences, learn the contributions of evolutionary game theory and coevolutionary theory, learn how computer programs are used to simulate multi-agent interaction and/or do network analysis, and read a variety of articles that use a dynamical or complex systems approach. In addition, you will write an exploratory research paper on a topic such as using dynamical methods to model a collection of actors interacting over time.
    Important Note: Please check the pages in this website frequently for updates. The date on the bottom of this page indicates the date the site was most recently revised. This site will contain a copy of the course syllabus, schedule, reading assignments, homework assignments, grades, and links for further information. In addition, a copy of all electronic announcements will be maintained and linked to the course web page. Please check this web site frequently.
    For hands-on simulation experience, Download 0691015678.01.LZZZZZZZ.gif (12707 bytes) Starlogo from the MIT media lab (PC and Mac)
    Readings by the author of Starlogo: first chapter, pp. 3-19 (on decentralization): Turtles, Termites, and Traffic Jams: Explorations in Massively Parallel Microworlds (Complex Adaptive Systems) - Mitchel Resnick, Mitchell Resnick; 1997. Paperback Usually ships in 2-3 days - Amazon Price: $12.50.
    If you have not yet activated your UCI e-mail account, please do so as soon as possible.  Directions for UCINetID and student EA account activation can be found at The Office of Academic Computing Website.  If you wish to have a printed copy of anything on the Anthro 179a site, you can get it at Clone Copy.
    Special Announcements for Talks-click here (Extra credit for reportage):
    Twelfth Annual CSEOL Symposium EVOLUTION IN THE COMPUTER AGE Friday, April 13, 2001 Schoenberg Auditorium UCLA


    ACTIVITIES OF UCLA CENTER FOR GOVERNANCE IN 2000/01

    1. Events organized by UCLA Center for Governance

     Conference on Evolution and Social Behavior
    April 20, 2001 UCLA Faculty Center

    Conference on Computational Social Science III
    May 4, 2001 UCLA Anderson School

    Behavior, Evolution, and Culture (BEC) Workshop
    Every Week Mondays at Noon

    Communication Studies Forum
    Monthly at irregular intervals

    Jacob Marschak Interdisciplinary Colloquium on Mathematics in the Behavioral Sciences
    Alternative Fridays 1-3 pm UCLA Anderson School C-301

    USC: http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/ir/cis/
    UCI / Electronic Education Environment / Social Sciences Class Websites / UCI Anthro Informatics / UCLA Center for Computational Social Science / School of Social Sciences / Eclectic Server /
    sites under construction

    Updated 10-Mar-2001 08:37:45 PST