Chaos Theory in the Social Sciences: Foundations and Applications

Front Cover
L. Douglas Kiel, Euel W. Elliott
University of Michigan Press, Sep 26, 1997 - Business & Economics - 349 pages
Chaos Theory in the Social Sciences: Foundations and Applications offers the most recent thinking in applying the chaos paradigm to the social sciences. The book explores the methodological techniques--and their difficulties--for determining whether chaotic processes may in fact exist in a particular instance and examines implications of chaos theory when applied specifically to political science, economics, and sociology. The contributors to the book show that no single technique can be used to diagnose and describe all chaotic processes and identify the strengths and limitations of a variety of approaches.
The essays in this volume consider the application of chaos theory to such diverse phenomena as public opinion, the behavior of states in the international arena, the development of rational economic expectations, and long waves.
Contributors include Brian J. L. Berry, Thad Brown, Kenyon B. DeGreene, Dimitrios Dendrinos, Euel Elliott, David Harvey, L. Ted Jaditz, Douglas Kiel, Heja Kim, Michael McBurnett, Michael Reed, Diana Richards, J. Barkley Rosser, Jr., and Alvin M. Saperstein.
L. Douglas Kiel and Euel W. Elliott are both Associate Professors of Government, Politics, and Political Economy, University of Texas at Dallas.
 

Contents

Exploring Nonlinear Dynamics with a Spreadsheet A Graphical View of Chaos for Beginners
19
Probing the Underlying Structure in Dynamical Systems An Introduction to Spectral Analysis
31
Measuring Chaos Using the Lyapunov Exponent
53
The Prediction Test for Nonlinear Determinism
67
From Individuals to Groups The Aggregation of Votes and Chaotic Dynamics
89
Chaos Theory and Political Science
117
Nonlinear Politics
119
The Prediction of Unpredictability Applications of the New Paradigm of Chaos in Dynamical Systems to the Old Problem of the Stability of a System...
139
Chaos Theory and Rationality in Economics
199
Long Waves 17901990 Intermittency Chaos and Control
215
Cities as Spatial Chaotic Attractors
237
Implications for Social Systems Management and Social Science
271
FieldTheoretic Framework for the Interpretation of the Evolution Instability Structural Change and Management of Complex Systems
273
Social Science as the Study of Complex Systems
295
References
325
Contributors
347

Complexity in the Evolution of Public Opinion
165
Chaos Theory and Economics
197

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