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The purpose of this paper is to show the features of agent-based model and discuss its progress in sociology. First, this paper will show the features of agent-based model with comparison to the traditional methods in sociology such like mathematical modeling and quantitative analysis. Next, this paper will confirm the progress of agent-based model in sociology, reviewing topics such as (a) the emergence of social order and (b) the emergence of social structure. Last, this paper will discuss the topic which is important in sociology but unexplored in agent-based model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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There exist two approaches, deductive and inductive, in the previous studies on class identification. In this paper, considering the articulation between these two approaches, we build a model incorporating the concept of the comparative reference group, which has been repeatedly discussed in deductive approach, into the FK model which is a model of class identification. Second, we develop a discussion to introduce the valid effect on class identification by the comparative reference group and to improve the fitness of the FK model at the micro level. As a result, toward the former purpose, we demonstrate it is logically valid that the effect of the regulation of each stratificational status on class identification increases when one selects the other whom one recognizes the more similarity as the comparative reference group. However, we cannot confirm drastic improvement of the fitness of the FK model. Hereafter, we can expect a model that expresses the actual state of class identification considering the effect of time or level of satisfaction which has been indicated in the statistical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematical sociology has started as a research project to develop an alternative approach to the then dominant style of theoretical sociology in l950s and 60s, represented by Parsonian or functionalist theories. As apparently noticed in Coleman's pioneering textbook (Coleman 1964) and White's monumental work (White 1963), the mathematical sociology aimed at establishing a culture in sociology where theories are more rigidly constructed and empirically based. However, the purpose of the mathematical sociology has not accomplished yet. There are several reasons for this failure. One reason is concerned with the nature of social world, which is a meaning-world constructed by people's subjective meanings, and not well suitable to mathematical analysis. More important reason is that among mathematical sociologists there have been several misunderstandings about the role of mathematical models and the nature of theory construction in sociology. Some mathematical sociologists mistakenly conceived that mathematical models should contribute in theory construction through empirical generalization or formalization. And, some others thought that the task of mathematical sociology is to derive a certain theoretically interesting interpretations from mathematical models. They commonly failed to recognize the creative and innovative nature of mathematical model building in sociological theory construction. In this paper, I suggest that the purpose of mathematical sociology is to build a mathematical model which represents a structural essence of the social phenomenon in question and accordingly shed a new light on the natures of the phenomenon. This idea is illustrated and explained by introducing several examples of mathematical modeling to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we aim to clearly explain the complex relation between advancement rate and intergenerational social mobility by formalizing a mathematical model. In order to derive general propositions that do not depend on the particular values of parameters, we simply assume that a society consists of four types of subgroups, namely, the combinations of high/low education and high/low class origin, and that a person with high education is more likely to enter the high class. We analyze two situations-first, the case where class origin has an effect on intergenerational mobility and second, the case where only educational qualifications affect mobility. The former is called the lexicographic order model; the latter, the educational credentialism model. By comparing these two models, we specify the condition that educational expansion leads to the formation of a closed society in terms of intergenerational social mobility. The models also show the relation between the equalization of educational opportunities and a decline in the rate of upward mobility. Moreover, we not only derive theoretical propositions but also attempt to verify the goodness of fit of the models by using nationwide statistical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]