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Social sciences have gone too far in their specialization; their highly sophisticated methodological input is bringing diminishing returns in understanding the complexities & development trends of modern societies. More thought should be devoted to an integrated social science approach & to further elaboration of the broad-ranging theories of earlier times. In order not to fall victim to an orientation dilemma, ie, where one knows too much about too little, or too little about too much, a strategy of four-fold balance is delineated: balance in focus, in proportionality, in conceptualization, & in method. Modified AA.

A handbook in Social Sciences for MA students at the University of Bir Zeit (Palestine)

"This provocative new introduction to the field of digital sociology offers a critical overview of interdisciplinary debates about new ways of knowing society that are emerging today at the interface of computing, social research and social life. Digital Sociology introduces key concepts, methods and understandings that currently inform the development of specifically digital forms of social inquiry. Marres assesses the relevance and usefulness of digital methods, data and techniques for the study of sociological phenomena and evaluates the major claim that computation makes possible a new ?science of society?. As Marres argues, the digital does much more than inspire innovation in social research ? it forces us to engage anew with fundamental sociological questions. If digital ways of knowing society are to deliver on their promise, we must learn to appreciate that the digital has the capacity to throw into crisis existing knowledge frameworks and is likely to reconfigure wider relations between sociology, computing, media and their publics. This timely engagement with a key transformation of our times will be indispensable reading for undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in digital sociology, digital media, computing and society"--

Graphical representation of the dynamic interactions among the elements of a system has found wide application in business, government, & the "system sciences." Although system representation is now ad hoc, it may be possible to develop a standard theoretical presentation in terms of the interaction & feedback of biological, biosocial, cultural, & situational determinants of behavior. The resulting framework must, of course, be modified for each problem addressed, yet the framework forces the analysis to be dynamic as well as static, to avoid overemphasis on factors of interest to a particular investigator, & to show more precisely the effect of adopting alternative social theories. Examining the applicability of this proposed framework to a variety of problems suggests that this approach will assist in the transfer of information between applied & theoretical studies & in the cumulation of social science knowledge. 1 Table, 8 Figures. AA.