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Research Handbook on Analytical Sociology
Providing an up-to-date portrait of the concepts and methods of analytical sociology, this pivotal Research Handbook traces the historical evolution of the field, utilising key research examples to illustrate its core principles. It investigates how analytical sociology engages with other approaches such as analytical philosophy, structural individualism, social stratification research, complexity science, pragmatism, and critical realism, exploring the foundations of the field as well as its major explanatory mechanisms and methods.
More Information
Critical Acclaim
Contributors
Contents
More Information
Providing an up-to-date portrait of the concepts and methods of analytical sociology, this pivotal Research Handbook traces the historical evolution of the field, utilising key research examples to illustrate its core principles. It investigates how analytical sociology engages with other approaches such as analytical philosophy, structural individualism, social stratification research, complexity science, pragmatism, and critical realism, exploring the foundations of the field as well as its major explanatory mechanisms and methods.
Chapters examine the ways in which analytical sociology addresses crucial concepts, including norms, structures, context, contingency, action theory, and models of social interactions. Offering an in-depth analysis of cumulative advantage, complex contagions, and network amplification, this comprehensive Research Handbook discusses the range of data sources and methods available to analytical sociologists for empirical research, in particular digital traces, historical archives, game-theoretic models, causal inference techniques, social networks analysis, and agent-based simulations.
Creating a new synthesis of the theoretical and methodological resources required to carry out research using analytical sociology tools, the Research Handbook will be a key pedagogical resource for students and scholars of sociology and sociological theory, research methods, demography, social psychology, economics, and computer science.
Chapters examine the ways in which analytical sociology addresses crucial concepts, including norms, structures, context, contingency, action theory, and models of social interactions. Offering an in-depth analysis of cumulative advantage, complex contagions, and network amplification, this comprehensive Research Handbook discusses the range of data sources and methods available to analytical sociologists for empirical research, in particular digital traces, historical archives, game-theoretic models, causal inference techniques, social networks analysis, and agent-based simulations.
Creating a new synthesis of the theoretical and methodological resources required to carry out research using analytical sociology tools, the Research Handbook will be a key pedagogical resource for students and scholars of sociology and sociological theory, research methods, demography, social psychology, economics, and computer science.
Critical Acclaim
‘This Research Handbook is an important update on the status of analytical sociology from a rich roster of authors. A riveting read for both novices and the initiated!’
– Delia Baldassarri, New York University, US
‘Analytical sociology emerged as a distinct area of sociology around the turn of the millennium. Twenty years later, the Research Handbook on Analytical Sociology provides an opportunity to assess what it has achieved and what its prospects are. The editor and contributing authors are well-known analytical sociologists and their chapters provide authoritative overviews of a range of fascinating and important topics. Not only professional sociologists but anyone interested in the social sciences will profit greatly from reading this comprehensive and stimulating book.’
– Richard Breen, Nuffield College, University of Oxford, UK
‘This Research Handbook provides an excellent introduction to the central concepts and methods employed by leading scholars in analytical sociology. It compellingly positions analytical sociology as a viable approach to doing rigorous science in which data supports theoretical advancement. The authors embed analytical sociology in its proper historical and contemporary context, articulating commonalities and differences with related intellectual movements and fields within our discipline.’
– Arnout van de Rijt, European University Institute, Italy and President of the International Network of Analytical Sociology
– Delia Baldassarri, New York University, US
‘Analytical sociology emerged as a distinct area of sociology around the turn of the millennium. Twenty years later, the Research Handbook on Analytical Sociology provides an opportunity to assess what it has achieved and what its prospects are. The editor and contributing authors are well-known analytical sociologists and their chapters provide authoritative overviews of a range of fascinating and important topics. Not only professional sociologists but anyone interested in the social sciences will profit greatly from reading this comprehensive and stimulating book.’
– Richard Breen, Nuffield College, University of Oxford, UK
‘This Research Handbook provides an excellent introduction to the central concepts and methods employed by leading scholars in analytical sociology. It compellingly positions analytical sociology as a viable approach to doing rigorous science in which data supports theoretical advancement. The authors embed analytical sociology in its proper historical and contemporary context, articulating commonalities and differences with related intellectual movements and fields within our discipline.’
– Arnout van de Rijt, European University Institute, Italy and President of the International Network of Analytical Sociology
Contributors
Contributors: Viviana Amati, Filippo Barbera, Carlo Barone, Katharina Burgdorf, Damon Centola, Carlos A. de Matos Fernandes, Pierre Demeulenaere, Francesco Di Iorio, Emily Erikson, Ivan Ermakoff, Hannah Espy, Eric Feltham, Andreas Flache, Filiz Garip, Peter Hedström, Henning Hillmann, Clemens Kroneberg, Francisco J. León-Medina, Daniel Little, Freda B. Lynn, Kinga Makovi, Gianluca Manzo, Michael Mäs, Mario Molina, Nicola Negri, Matthew Norton, Scott E. Page, Wojtek Przepiorka, Werner Raub, Viktoria Spaiser, Christoph Stadtfeld, Andreas Tutic, Giuseppe A. Veltri, Christopher Winship, Petri Ylikoski
Contents
Contents:
Preface ix
Does analytical sociology practice what it preaches? An assessment of
analytical sociology through the Merton award 1
Gianluca Manzo
PART 1 THEORETICAL CONVERSATIONS
1 Understanding the Coleman boat 49
Petri Ylikoski
2 Analytical sociology, analytic philosophy and analytical Marxism 64
Daniel Little
3 Analytical sociology and its lesser-known antecedents:
structural individualism in European sociology 80
Werner Raub
4 Analytical sociology and complexity research 100
Michael Mäs
5 Analytical sociology and social stratification research 119
Carlo Barone
6 Analytical sociology and critical realism 135
Francesco Di Iorio and Francisco J. León-Medina
7 Analytical sociology and cultural sociology 155
Filippo Barbera
8 Analytical sociology and pragmatism 170
Matthew Norton
PART 2 PIVOTAL CONCEPTS AND MECHANISMS
9 Action 186
Clemens Kroneberg and Andreas Tutic
10 Interactions 204
Michael Mäs
11 Structure 220
Emily Erikson and Eric Feltham
12 Norms 233
Pierre Demeulenaere
13 Coupled contexts 249
Filippo Barbera and Nicola Negri
14 Contingency and randomness: a modal approach 264
Ivan Ermakoff
15 Cumulative advantage 286
Freda B. Lynn and Hannah W. Espy
16 Network amplification 308
Filiz Garip and Mario D. Molina
17 Complex contagions 321
Damon Centola
PART 3 PIVOTAL METHODS
18 Archival data 337
Katharina Burgdorf and Henning Hillmann
19 Digital data and methods 352
Viktoria Spaiser
20 Advances in mediation analysis 364
Kinga Makovi and Christopher Winship
21 Experiments 392
Giuseppe A. Veltri
22 Game-theoretic models 414
Wojtek Przepiorka
23 Network mechanisms and network models 432
Christoph Stadtfeld and Viviana Amati
24 Agent-based computational models 453
Andreas Flache and Carlos A. de Matos Fernandes
25 The many model approach 474
Scott E. Page
Coda—The past and future of analytical sociology 490
Peter Hedström
Index 506
Preface ix
Does analytical sociology practice what it preaches? An assessment of
analytical sociology through the Merton award 1
Gianluca Manzo
PART 1 THEORETICAL CONVERSATIONS
1 Understanding the Coleman boat 49
Petri Ylikoski
2 Analytical sociology, analytic philosophy and analytical Marxism 64
Daniel Little
3 Analytical sociology and its lesser-known antecedents:
structural individualism in European sociology 80
Werner Raub
4 Analytical sociology and complexity research 100
Michael Mäs
5 Analytical sociology and social stratification research 119
Carlo Barone
6 Analytical sociology and critical realism 135
Francesco Di Iorio and Francisco J. León-Medina
7 Analytical sociology and cultural sociology 155
Filippo Barbera
8 Analytical sociology and pragmatism 170
Matthew Norton
PART 2 PIVOTAL CONCEPTS AND MECHANISMS
9 Action 186
Clemens Kroneberg and Andreas Tutic
10 Interactions 204
Michael Mäs
11 Structure 220
Emily Erikson and Eric Feltham
12 Norms 233
Pierre Demeulenaere
13 Coupled contexts 249
Filippo Barbera and Nicola Negri
14 Contingency and randomness: a modal approach 264
Ivan Ermakoff
15 Cumulative advantage 286
Freda B. Lynn and Hannah W. Espy
16 Network amplification 308
Filiz Garip and Mario D. Molina
17 Complex contagions 321
Damon Centola
PART 3 PIVOTAL METHODS
18 Archival data 337
Katharina Burgdorf and Henning Hillmann
19 Digital data and methods 352
Viktoria Spaiser
20 Advances in mediation analysis 364
Kinga Makovi and Christopher Winship
21 Experiments 392
Giuseppe A. Veltri
22 Game-theoretic models 414
Wojtek Przepiorka
23 Network mechanisms and network models 432
Christoph Stadtfeld and Viviana Amati
24 Agent-based computational models 453
Andreas Flache and Carlos A. de Matos Fernandes
25 The many model approach 474
Scott E. Page
Coda—The past and future of analytical sociology 490
Peter Hedström
Index 506
