Simulation, Application, Transformation

Coordinator: PD Dr. Lothar Krempel, Cologne
Academic Tutor: Cathleen Stützer
Course Language: English. Prerequesite: Workshop A.
Time: Monday, July 28 to Thursday, August 14 (64 hrs.)

Participants will learn how to design, handle and present social relations research projects, including the consideration of strategies for transformation of existing structures. The use of software and databases will be guided by complexity theory. The workshop consists of three sections.

In a case study, agent based simulation methods will be used with available data on the German MPs and their social environments. Selected decision processes will be traced which are based on small network communication patterns transcending caucus lines that may, from time to time, trigger action by emergent decision clusters.

A considerable data base for the study of political communications is gained by automated text analysis of news flows. The extracted information provides systematic information on emerging and disappearing issue networks over time.
Students will also be introduced to presentation techniques that are appropriate to communicate the unveiled information content.

C-1 Agent Based Simulation Methods

Prof. William Rand Ph.D., Northwestern/University of Michichigan
Jana Höhnisch, Mittweida
Mo. 28.07. to Thu. 31.07. (20 hrs.)

C-2 Analyzing and Transforming Complex Systems

PD Dr. Lothar Krempel, Max-Planck-Institut für Gesellschaftsforschung Köln
PD Dr. Lothar Krempel, MPIfG Cologne
Wolfgang Neurath, Austrian Ministry of Science, Vienna
Isabel Hatzel, Mittweida
Tue. 29.07. to Thu. 14.08. (24 hrs.)

C-3 Applications with Multi-modal Data

Jana Diesner M.A., Carnegie Mellon Pittsburgh
Patric Üschner, Mittweida
Tue. 29.07. to Thu. 14.08. (20 hrs.)