how to think conceptually the human dynamics considering humans as agents of multiple complex systems that they are part of – which analytical dimensions that we must take into consideration for building an efficient method to research human dynamics

1. In search of a model of human dynamics analysis applied
to social sciences
Dalton Lopes Martins
dmartins@gmail.com
Federal University of Goiás
Student Conference on
Complexity Science (SCCS)
University of Sussex
Brighton
United Kingdom
2014 Image by: Marc Ngui - http://athousandplateaus-drawings.tumblr.com/

2. Who I am
● Dalton Martins
– PhD in Information Science
– Federal University of Goias
● Information and Communication LAB
– Working with:
● Information management
● Infometrics,Scientometrics
● Human Dynamics
● Social networks
LABICOM - UFG

3. Human Dynamics
● 2 questions drives my research:
– how to think conceptually the human dynamics
considering humans as agents of multiple
complex systems that they are part of
– which analytical dimensions that we must
take into consideration for building an efficient
method to research human dynamics

4. Human Dynamics
● Definition of complex system:
– “A system in wich large networks of components with no central
control and simple rules of operation give rise to complex
collective behavior, sophisticated information processing, and
adaptation via learning or evolution” (Mitchell, 2009).
– “Systems in wich organized behavior arises without an internal
or external controller or leader are sometimes called self-organizing”
(Mitchell, 2009).
– It'a a tradition to think in complex systems without an internal or
external controller or leader.
● But, in terms of Human Dynamics:
– Culture, habits, power structures could
not be thought of as something that exerts some kind of
control or driving behavior?

5. 3 analytical dimensions
● Philosophical
– explanatory models of human behavior
● Mathematical
– strategies to analyze and describe the human
dynamics
● Technological
– strategies to collect, process, and visualize data
from social interactions

6. philosophical dimension
● Dispositif
– A fundamental concept to my research;
– Michel Foucault generally uses the term "dispositif," to
refer to the various institutional, physical, and
administrative mechanisms and knowledge
structures which enhance and maintain the exercise of
power within the social body;
– Represents discursive and non discursive human
practices;
– Machines that make something visible and speakable

7. philosophical dimension
● Dispositif as practices
– “A practice is a preconceptual, anonymous, socially
sanctioned body of rules that govern one's
manner of perceiving, judging, imagining and acting”
(Flynn, 2003).
– “Foucault describes practice as the point of
linkage of what one says and what one does, of the
rules one prescribes to onesef and the reasons one
ascribes, of projects and of evidences” (Flynn, 2003).
– “Practices establish and apply norms, controls,
and exclusions; on the other, they render true/false
discourse possible” (Flynn, 2003).

8. philosophical dimension
● Dispositif
– 4 lines could be used to describe a dispositif
(Deleuze, 1990)
● Visibility
– Wich allows the dispositif to be visible
● Enunciation
– Wich allows the dispositif to be speakble
● Forces
– words and things to be affirmed
● Subjectivity
– Modes of life

9. philosophical dimension
Dispositifs as practices which makes the difference: complex natural and human systems
Image Source: http://serc.carleton.edu/details/images/23167.html

10. philosophical dimension
● My research proposes:
– We study the human dynamics from the
analysis of the dispositifs that emerge in
the social field.
– The dispositifs form patterns of
relationships and relational practices
that can be studied and described by mathematical
and technological tools
– We should be able to create analytical
methods that use these 4 lines as a means to
understand and describe what emerges from
the dynamic human processes.

11. Mathematical and technological
dimension: a propose of a framework
Lines to describe a dispositf objects of study mathematical resources technological resources
Visibility
documents natural language modeling data mining
standards bibliometrics data visualization
norms infometrics natural language processing
laws scientometrics statistical processing packages
organizational hierarchies
Enunciation
courses natural language modeling data mining
books bibliometrics data visualization
articles infometrics natural language processing
science fields scientometrics statistical processing packages
public policies
Forces
social networks Structural social network analysis social network analysis package
Dynamic social network anaysis
System dynamics
Subjectivity
people multivariate statistics and analysis statistical processing packages
groups, communities qualitative research spreadsheets

12. Applications
Visibility
Enunciation
Forces
Subjectivity
Human practices
Human dynamics
This is a way to study human dynamics considering the existence of subtle forms
of control and influence from the existence of dispositifs

13. First Application: enunciation
how organizations describe theirselves
speech of 81 organizations on sustainability
proximity of organizations through speech

14. First Application: how the same organizations
are related with each other
social relations of partnership between the organizations

15. Next steps
● find ways to investigate the connection between
the social network and the position of
organizations through speech;
● find ways of investigating the subjective
positions of the organizations for their positions
in the discursive network and social network.

16. References
● MITCHELL, Melanie. Complexity: a guided
tour. Oxford Press. 2009. 349p.
● DELEUZE, Gilles. What is a dispositif. In:
Michel Foucault: philosopher. Ed.:
ARMSTROMG, Timothy J. Routledge. pp. 159-
168. 1990.
● FLYNN, Thomas. Foucault`s Mapping of
History. In: The Cambridge Companion to
Foucault. Ed. GUTTING, Gary. Cambridge.
2003. 465p.