Seminar: Participatory Modelling - ENTFÄLLT

Instructors: Prof. Dr. Petra Ahrweiler; Blanca Luque Capellas
Shortname: S Techniksoziologie
Course No.: 02.149.16911
Course Type: Seminar

Requirements / organisational issues

Zielgruppe:

  1. Bachelor Studierende im Studiengang Soziologie (Kernfach) [po 2011, 2016]
  2. Bachelor Studierende im Studiengang Soziologie (Beifach) [po 2016]
  3. Bachelor Studierende im Studiengang Wirtschaftspädagogik (Schwerpunktfach "Sozialwissenschaften")

Stellung im Studiengang:

  1. B.A. Soziologie Kernfach: Modul "Wahlveranstaltung Soziologie (Vertiefung)" [po 2011]
  2. B.A. Soziologie Kernfach: Vertiefungsveranstaltung im Modul "Vertiefungs- und Wahlveranstaltungen 1" [po 2016]

bzw.

  1. B.A. Soziologie Kernfach: Vertiefungsveranstaltung im Modul "Vertiefungs- und Wahlveranstaltungen 2" [po 2016]
  2. B.Sc. Wirtschaftspädagogik Schwerpunktfach "Sozialwissenschaften": Modul "Aufbaumodul Soziologie"

Anwesenheitspflicht

Anyone who is absent in the first session without excuse gives up their place. A prior informal excuse to the teacher by e-mail is sufficient. No medical certificate is required.

Contents

Description:
Social Simulation is a type of modelling for social scientists which has been gaining interest as a result of extremely affordable computing power and a rising interest in complex systems methods and approaches to understanding the world. Social simulation helps to develop a deeper understanding of social and economic issues and problems, centering on “complexity” ideas: evolution, adaptation, nonlinear behavior, emergence and self-organization. These approaches have become essential tools for social scientists in a wide range of fields, sociology, economics, cognitive psychology, organizational theory, political science and geography.

Social simulation can be supported by participatory modelling methodologies, where different stakeholders involved on the social reality that wants to be simulated take part in the modelling process. Participatory modelling allows modellers to better understand the social dynamics by representing them in a simulation. Moreover, social simulation can be used with the participant stakeholders to evaluate possible future scenarios, and doing so new situations and solutions are reached. Thus, this approach is also useful for participatory policy making purposes.

This seminar offers an introduction to participatory modelling and the methods used in it.

Learning outcomes:
Students will be introduced to participatory modelling and a range of techniques aimed at addressing problems of public interest from this perspective.

  1. Students will have a clear idea of the objectives and scope of the participatory modelling perspective in addressing problems of public interest related to new technologies and socio-ecological problems.
  2. Students will have the basic knowledge about how to implement participatory systems mapping (including fuzzy cognitive mapping), serious games and computational modelling to address problems of public interest related to new technologies and socio-ecological problems.


 

Additional information

In modules 09 and 10 (core subject) and module 06 (minor subject) , one “Vertiefungsseminar“ and one “Wahlveranstaltung“ must be taken.

A term paper must be written in one of the seminars per module. The topic of the term paper must be discussed in advance with the supervisor. Assignments whose topic has not been discussed in advance may be rejected. This does not replace registration for the examination in Jogustine.

Further information (in German) on those courses (“Vertiefungsseminare” and “Wahlveranstaltungen“) can be found here: https://www.soziologie.uni-mainz.de/studienverlauf-und-modulhandbuecher/

Further information on writing a term paper can be found here: https://www.soziologie.uni-mainz.de/files/2020/08/Handreichung-zur-Anfertigung-von-Hausarbeiten.pdf