Newsgroups: bit.listserv.csg-l
Date:         Thu, 8 Oct 1992 09:18:30 EST
From:         "(Avery Andrews)" <andaling@FAC.ANU.EDU.AU>
Subject:      simulating societies - conference

This likes it would be a natural for any followup work to Gatherings:

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Date: Wed, 7 Oct 92 14:34:33 -0700
From: pagre@weber.ucsd.edu (Phil Agre)
Message-Id: <9210072134.AA24194@weber.ucsd.edu>
To: bug-sdl@weber.ucsd.edu
Subject: simulating societies
Status: RO

Date: Tue, 6 Oct 92 09:19:49 BST
>From: Doran J E <doraj@essex.ac.uk>
Subject: CFP for Simulating Societies '93

Call for papers and participation for

               Simulating Societies '93
                   24-26 July 1993
Approaches to Simulating Social Phenomena and Social Processes

Although the value of simulating complex phenomena in order to come to a
better understanding of their nature is well recognised, it is still rare
for simulation to be used to understand social processes.  This symposium
is intended to present original research, review current ideas, compare
alternative approaches and suggest directions for future work on the
simulation of social processes.  It follows the first symposium held in
April 1992 at the University of Surrey, UK.

It is expected that about a dozen papers will be presented to the symposium
and that revised versions will be published as a book.  We are now seeking
proposals for papers and for participation.  Contributions from a range
of disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, archaeology, ethology,
artificial intelligence, and artificial life, are very welcome.

Papers on the following and related topics are invited:
*   Discussions of approaches to the simulation of social processes such as
    those based on distributed artificial intelligence, genetic algorithms and
    neural networks, nonlinear systems, general purpose stochastic simulation
    systems, etc.
*   Accounts of specific simulations of processes and phenomena, at a macro or
    micro level.
*   Critical reviews of existing work that has involved the simulation of
    social processes.
*   Reviews of simulation work in archeology, economics, psychology,
    geography, demography, etc. with lessons for the simulation of social
    processes.
*   Arguments for or against simulation as an approach to understanding
    complex social processes.
*   Simulations of human, animal and 'possible' societies.

'Social process' may be interpreted widely to include, for example, the rise
and fall of nation states, the behaviour of households, the evolution of
animal societies, and social interaction.

Registration, accommodation and subsistence expenses during the meeting will
be met by the sponsors.  Participants will need to find their own travel
expenses.  Proposals for papers are initially invited in the form of an
abstract of no more than 300 words.  Abstracts should be sent, along with
a brief statement of research interests, to the address below by 15th March
1993.  Authors of those selected will be invited to submit full papers by 1st
June 1993.  Those interested in participating, but not wishing to present a
paper, should send a letter indicating the contribution they could make to the
symposium, also by 15th March 1993.

The organisers of the Symposium are Cristiano Castelfranchi (IP-CNR and
University of Siena, Italy), Jim Doran (University of Essex, UK), Nigel
Gilbert (University of Surrey, UK), and Domenico Parisi (IP- CNR, Roma,
Italy).

The symposium is sponsored by the University of Siena (Corso di laurea in
Scienze della Comunicazione), the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Istituto
di Psicologia, Roma) and the University of Surrey.

The meeting will be held at Certosa di Pontignano near Siena, Italy, a
conference centre on the site of a 1400AD monastery.

Proposals should be sent to:
Prof Nigel Gilbert, Department of Sociology, University of Surrey,
Guildford GU2 5XH, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)483 509173 Fax: +44 (0)483 306290
Email: gng@soc.surrey.ac.uk