Blackwell Reference Online

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After World War II, some sociologists began to employ mathematical models as part of a deepening and broadening of the interpenetration of mathematics and the social and behavioral sciences. These applications were quite different from traditional data analysis wherein statistical procedures are the main tools. The idea was to create more rigorous scientific theories than had hitherto existed in these fields. Traditionally, for instance, theories in fields such as psychology and sociology were strong in intuitive content, but weak from a formal point of view. That is, assumptions and definitions were not clearly stipulated and distinguished from factual descriptions and inferences. In particular, there was rarely a formal deduction of a conclusion from specified premises. The phrase “constructing mathematical models” captured the new and preferred style. This means making explicit assumptions about some mathematical objects and providing an empirical interpretation for the ideas. It also means deducing properties of the model and comparing these with relevant empirical data. Mathematical sociology was part of this intellectual movement in the social and behavioral sciences. The distinctive feature of sociology as a science is its focus on groups. But a group is not just a set of people. Rather, through processes of social interaction, a group is a set of people in social relationships ... log in or subscribe to read full text