Master 2024/2025

Computational Modeling for Social and Political Studies

Type: Compulsory course (Data Analytics for Politics and Society )

Area of studies: Sociology

Delivered by: Department of Sociology

Where: Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences

When: 1 year, 3 module

Mode of studies: offline

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Колесник Наталья Владимировна

Master’s programme: Data Analytics for Politics and Society

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Course Syllabus

Abstract

Agent-based modeling (ABM) is a simulation method where the mass behavior of different interacting actors determines the dynamics of the system as a whole. Scientists describe the rules of behavior of agents at the individual level, in particular how these agents decide to act and interact under certain conditions, while the general dynamics of the system arises as a result of the local choices interactions. Such models allow to overcome many limitations in management analysis and policy assessment. Where it is impossible to conduct a field experiment introducing certain measures, agent-based modeling is used for a realistic assessment of the consequences, since it is possible to take into account the heterogeneity of decisions and attitudes of individuals, their resistance to change, the evolution of attitudes, capabilities and changes in norms.

Learning Objectives

• To learn computational methods of experimental policy assessment

Expected Learning Outcomes

• A student can conduct what-if analysis, examine the results of political interventions under different assumptions on how people decide
• A student can formalize a decision-making model of agents in NetLogo code
• A student can formulate a micro-macro conceptual model explaining a complex empirical phenomenon
• A student can implement the computational agent-based model

Course Contents

• Modeling complex phenomena
• Individual decision-making
• Designing an agent-based model
• Computational experiments

Assessment Elements

• Activity
  Активность на занятиях
• Model
  Разработка на языке программирования Python агентно-ориентированной модели.
• Review
  Рецензия на статью, заявленным методом которой лежит агентно-ориентированное моделирование
• Project review
  Каждый проект получит двух рецензентов, которые подготовят свой отклик на работу и преподнесут его после презентации проекта.
• Project
  Каждый студент разработает дизайн своей агентно-ориентированной модели социологической или политологической тематики (без программного кода, но с формулами / псевдокодом).

Interim Assessment

• 2024/2025 3rd module
  0.2 * Activity + 0.15 * Model + 0.4 * Project + 0.1 * Project review + 0.15 * Review

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Uri Wilensky, & William Rand. (2015). An Introduction to Agent-Based Modeling : Modeling Natural, Social, and Engineered Complex Systems with NetLogo. The MIT Press.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• The Oxford handbook of analytical sociology ed. by Peter Hedström . (2011).

Authors

• ZHEGLOV SERGEY ALEKSANDROVICH
• Ильина Мария Ивановна