Modelling in the Social Sciences: Interdisciplinary Comparison

Kindly funded by TINT and the Helsinki Collegium of Advanced Studies

Venue: Collegium, seminar room, Fabianinkatu 24, Helsinki

Time: 17th -18th June 2010

organised by
Mary Morgan and Till Grüne-Yanoff

The symposium brings together social scientists and philosophers of science to discuss different modelling practices, and analyse the differences, similarities and arguments in these practices. The idea is to hear active researchers report on their use, construction and understanding of models and modelling, and then facilitate a dialogue between them and philosophers on the methodology of modelling. We thereby seek to address the rationale and the philosophical assumptions that underlie modelling practice in the different social science disciplines, rather than the technical details of certain modelling procedures. [More]

The seminar is open for all but pre-registration is required. Please book your place by contacting Mr Taavi Sundell

Thursday, June 17th

9:00-10:30 David Shipworth
UCL Energy Institute
Commentator: Erika Mansnerus
The vernacular architecture of household energy models
10:30-11:00 COFFEE
11:00-12:30 Timo Honkela
Computational Cognitive Systems research group,
Aalto University School of Science and Technology
Commentator: Tarja Knuuttila
Socio-Cognitive Modeling
12:30:-13:30 LUNCH
13:30-15:00 Dwight W. Read
Anthropology, UCLA
Commentator: Caterina Marchionni
Modeling Cultural Idea systems: The relationship between theory models and data models
15:00-16:30 Jari-Erik Nurmi
Psychology, University of Jyväskyla
Commentator: Till Grüne-Yanoff
Modeling Developmental Processes in Psychology
16:30-17:00 COFFEE
17:00-18:30 Scott de Marchi
Political science, Duke University
Commentator: Aki Lehtinen
TBA                                    

Friday, June 18th

9:30-11:00 Graeme Earl
Archaeology, University of Southampton
Commentator: Uskali Mäki
Modelling in Archaeology: Computer Graphic and Other Digital Pasts
11:00-11:30 COFFEE
11:30-13:00 Petri Luomanen
Biblical Studies, Academy of Finland
Commentator: Diego Rios
Social-Scientific Modeling in Biblical Studies
13:00:-14:00 LUNCH
14:00-15:30 Nigel Gilbert
Sociology, University of Surrey
Commentator: Petri Ylikoski
Agent-based modelling - a new way of doing social science?
15:30-16:00 COFFEE
16:00-17:30 Mary Morgan and Till Grüne-Yanoff
Economic History, LSE and Philosophy, Helsinki University
Wrap-up session