The Mathematical Sociologist
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The Mathematical Sociologist Newsletter of the Mathematical Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association Spring 2003 Section Officers Chair From the newsletter editor Noah E. Friedkin, Barbara Meeker, [email protected] University of California, Santa Barbara The MathSoc Section Newsletter is [email protected] back by popular demand (sort of). After a gap of Chair Elect: about two years, I volunteered once again to David Heise, Indiana University produce the newsletter. Given the many very [email protected] competitive professional accomplishments we all Past Chair, and: Section Nominations try for, it was something of a relief to campaign Committee Chair for a job absolutely no one else wants! I intend to Patrick Doreian, University of Pittsburgh do either one or two issues a year. This is the [email protected] issue for 2002-2003, covering approximately Secretary/Treasurer – 2005 April 2002 through April 2003. Dave McFarland Lisa Troyer, University of Iowa (UCLA - [email protected]) [email protected] has agreed to post newsletters and other information on a Section web page. Council 2003 The Section has been very active, as Kenneth C. Land, Duke University shown in the minutes of the Business Meeting, [email protected] prepared by 2002 Secretary-Treasurer Joe Whitmeyer, (see below). Other activities of the Jane Sell, Texas A&M University Section during the past year and some with ASA [email protected] coming up are also described below. Section Chair Noah Friedkin has written Council - 2004 an interesting comment on the Current State of Diane H. Felmlee, Mathematical Sociology; I think most of us University of California-Davis would agree wholeheartedly with his remarks. It [email protected] is interesting to me that I had also received a thoughtful letter from Tom Fararo (one of the Murray Webster, Jr. Section founders, and a former Section Chair) University of North Carolina, Charlotte suggesting an editorial on similar lines but with a [email protected] different perspective. He wonders if Mathematical Sociology has ‘Disappeared’; for Council 2005 example, in the new edition of The International Bob Hanneman Encyclopedia of the Behavioral and Social University of California, Riverside Sciences, published by Elsevier, there is neither an entry for "mathematical sociology," nor for [email protected] "mathematical models in sociology." (There is however an entry for “mathematical sociology” Noah P. Mark in the newest Encyclopedia of Sociology, edited Stanford University by E. F. Borgatta and R. J. V. Montgomery, [email protected] MacMillan, 2000). The fact that mathematical sociology requires both mathematical expertise Student Representative and thorough knowledge of a substantive area, Jun Kobayashi along with the existence of disciplinary University of Chicago disagreements about what constitutes ‘theory’ [email protected] make it difficult to place our work so that others are aware of it. If I make a contribution to the study of discussion groups using a formal theory translated into a mathematical model, do I send it to a journal or conference on group processes, on 1 mathematical sociology, or on sociological to attract more mathematically-oriented theory (or even possibly on mathematical undergraduates into the graduate training biology, since many of the models are similar)? programs of sociology, and we need to build It seems to me that one use of this vibrant graduate programs in mathematical newsletter can be to communicate to each other sociology that are aimed at training a new what we are doing. I have included the programs generation of theorists who work in particular of several conferences, a table of contents of the substantive fields of sociology. Journal of Mathematical Sociology, and several We should react strongly to attempts to other references to recent publications that use label us as “methodologists” whose work does mathematical models to address substantive not bear centrally on sociological theory or as issues. I would encourage all Section members “narrow” because the mathematical models that to send me references to their own papers, and we employ are not readily accessible to many also to Web pages if you have them. sociologists. I have found many of the non- I also encourage you to send comments mathematical theories that are currently on these (or other) issues of general concern to prominent in sociology entirely impenetrable. the Section. After years of picking up and laying down theory And, of course, we need more books and listening to, but not understanding, members; please renew your membership, and conference presentations in theory sessions, I’ve encourage colleagues and students to join. There come to accept the idea that the progress of are instructions for joining at the end of the science in sociology cannot be taken for granted, newsletter. □ that it will not advance by itself, and that we must actively promote it not only through our Comments From the Section Chair publications, but also through organizational Noah Friedkin efforts to build programs within our academic departments for graduate students who are The Current State of Mathematical Sociology committed, as we are, to a vision of an edifice of This is an exciting period for sociological theory that is built on mathematical mathematical sociology. Physicists have become foundations. We cannot wait for the discipline to interested in social network phenomena. embrace our endeavors. We must “do our thing” Business schools are hiring sociologists to against resistance if need be, because it is develop formal models applicable to economic important and worth doing well. □ phenomena. National security concerns have drawn mathematical sociologists into the war on Plan Ahead for Atlanta terrorism. Devastating epidemics have brought ASA will meet in Atlanta, August 16 to the recognition that the simplifying assumptions 19, 2003. Mathematical sociology Section day is of classic contagion models must be refined by Saturday, August 16. The reception will be attending to the social structure in which 6:30-8:15 p.m. on that day. We have been contagion occurs. The globalization of economic allocated one paper session, according to the and political organizations calls for the current ASA formula for Section sessions (this is development of formal models of extremely because we have 300 or fewer members). □ large social systems. Rapid advances are being . made in the formalization of social processes in Please Vote! various fields of sociology, including social The slate of officers for the MathSoc exchange, interpersonal influence, emotion, Section for 2003 is: rational choice, social organization, collective For Chair-Elect behavior, social movements, and culture. Kenneth C. Land Never before has there been a more Kazuo Yamaguchi pressing demand for sociologists who combine For Council Member strong mathematical skills with deep substantive William Shelly grounding in particular fields. Mathematical James Montgomery models of sociological phenomena are unlikely James Moody to make an enduring contribution if they are not For Council, Student Member informed by the refined substantive sensibility Kayo Fujimoto that usually comes from systematic reading in Ju-Sing Lee sociology and intense involvement with data. There are not enough of us. Somehow we need 2 You can find biographical information about graduate student prize. It was agreed that the them on the ASA Web page www.asanet.org. career should be named, perhaps with a (You need to have information from your paper combination of names. Possible names raised ballot from ASA to enter this page.) Thanks to were Coleman, White, Fararo, and Kemeny. It all of the candidates for their willingness to run, was agreed that the incoming chair, Noah and congratulations on being recognized as Friedkin, will collect suggested names emailed valuable Section members. Votes must be in by to him and will email people asking for May 30.□ suggestions. The section then will vote on the name by email. Section Committees for 2003 Outstanding Book and Article Publication 3. Second and third joint Japan-U.S. Award: Mathematical Sociology conferences. Chair: Jane Sell Gene Johnsen reported on the second joint Dave Heise conference between the section and the Japanese Bob Hanneman Association for Mathematical Sociology. It was held in Vancouver in June, 2002, and was Jun Kobayashi attended by 33 participants plus spouses. It was A Non-Council Member a "very positive experience for the participants." (Selected by Jane Sell) Financially, the conference at least broke even. Graduate Student Paper Award: Financial management was greatly facilitated by Chair: Ken Land Phoebe Stevenson of the ASA who arranged a Noah Mark special funds account under the section. The Murray Webster section council also had given a guarantee for up Diane Felmlee to $500 for costs. Organizers of the conference A Non-Council Member were Gene Johnsen and Noah Friedkin on the (Selected by Ken Land) U.S. side, and Yoshinori Sato and Yuriko Saito Nominations Committee on the Japanese side. Chair: Pat Doreian Planning for the third joint conference Members: All Council Members is well under way. This one will be held in Program Committee Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan in July, 2004. The Chair: Noah Friedkin Japanese co-organizer is Toshio Yamagishi, Members: All Council Members □ professor at Hokkaido University. American co- organizers are needed within a month. Herm Minutes of the 2002 Business Smith and Phil Bonacich (neither present) were Meeting of the Mathematical suggested as good possibilities; Noah Friedkin said he would contact them. Gene Johnsen said Sociology Section Murray Webster (not present) had said he would Joseph Whitmeyer, Section Secretary-Treasurer be swilling to assist in preparation of an NSF The business meeting of the proposal for supporting graduate student mathematical sociology section of the American attendance, as had been obtained for the first Sociological Association was held Saturday, conference in Hawaii. Geoff Tootell noted there August 19, 2002 from 11:30 to 12:20 in the might be a conflict with the Krakow group Hilton Washington.