MLSC 507. An Introduction to the Social Sciences and Social Systems.

Winter 2007

Mondays, 6:15 - 9:30 PM
Location: HU 118

Instructor: Dr. Stoll

202 Baker Hall
stoll at rice.edu
Phone: 713-348-3362
Fax: 713-348-5273
Office Hours:
     Tu 1:00 - 2:00 PM
     We 11:00 - 11:30 AM
     Fr 2:00 - 3:00 PM
     or by appointment

News Flashes

Introduction to the Course

The social sciences are not a single unified discipline with a common approach, methodology, and orientation to what we study. But it is still possible to cover a number of topics that span multiple disciplines in the social sciences. That is the goal of this course.

There are a series of interrelated themes in this course. We want to study and discuss ideas that can be relevant to a number of disciplines in the social sciences. We want to use these ideas to explore some interesting questions that are asked in the social sciences. But just because an idea is interesting does not mean it is valid. So we also want to think about how we might determine if these ideas actually account for behavior in the real world (i.e., how would we test these ideas and insights?).

Let me mention a few general concepts that are applicable across the social sciences.

Systems

The word system is often bandied about without explaining precisely what it means. We will define a system is a set of interconnected units. One feature of a system is that it can exhibit properties and behaviors that are different from the individual units which comprise the system. There are several implications of this:

The "whole" of the system taken together may be greater than the sum of parts.
As the units interact through time, both the units and the system may change, sometimes in a dramatic fashion.

Generalization

Most social scientists seek to generalize. We want ideas to apply to large classes of situations, not just one or two. This implies:

Ideas should be presented at a general level.
When we want to see if our ideas actually describe what happens in the real world, we want like to test them on a large number of cases. This is why a number of social scientists conduct statistical analyses. They do this in order to understand what is going on when they are faced with trying to make sense out of a large mass of information.

Transparency

In doing research it is critical that everything be documented so that others can see exactly what was done. This is vital for two reasons. First, it allows others to evaluate what has been done and draw conclusions about the quality of the research and its conclusions. Second, it allows scholars to explicitly build on existing research. This is important because we often advance our knowledge by taking what is known from the work of others and adding to it.

It's A Craft

There are no magic formulas or recipes to doing good work in the social sciences. It's a craft. You learn a craft by doing. Keep at it and you will get better. Think about the words of the authors of one of the books we will use in the course (see Lave and March,1992: 2): It is a nuisance, but God has chosen to give the easy problems to the physicists. Sad but true! But don't get discouraged. We can do good work, learn things, and make progress.

Books

Throughout the course we will read a number of articles and chapters. In addition, we will read most (or all) of each of the following books:

Axelrod, Robert. 1984. The Evolution of Cooperation. NY. Basic Books.
Lave, Charles and James March. 1992. An Introduction to Models in the Social Sciences. Lanham, MD. University Press of America.
Schelling, Thomas. 1978. Micromotives and Macrobehavior. NY. W.W. Norton.

Reading Assignments

There will be weekly readings. We will read all (or almost all) of the three books listed above. The link above will take you to the webpage with the reading assignments.

Supplemental Readings

You will sometimes be asked to do supplemental readings.

Written Assignments

There will be a number of written assignments in the course. Some will be small and others will be larger. The goal is each is to aid you in learning more about how to think about ideas in the social sciences. Some will involve only a little writing, while others will involve more. In addition, you may be asked to find articles, draw diagrams, or even work with numbers. There should be no mystery about what each assignment is designed to accomplish. If you ever have any doubts, the simplest way to clear them up is to contact me.

Honor Code

Rice has an Honor System. The Honor System places a great deal of trust -- but also responsibility -- on the student. All assignments in this course are covered by the Honor System. In each case I will explain what limitations and restrictions you should observe in order to comply with the Honor System. But there may be times when my explanations are incomplete or you do not understand them. The best way to avoid any potential problems with the Honor System is this: if you ever have any questions about how the Honor Code applies to anything in this course, contact me.

Special Needs

Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is requested to contact me as soon as possible, preferably during the first two weeks of class. All discussions will remain confidential. Students with disabilities should also contact Disability Support Services, room 122 in the Ley Student Center (713-348-5841; adarice at rice.edu).