Project acronym ANALYTICAL SOCIOLOGY
Project Analytical Sociology: Theoretical Developments and Empirical Research
Researcher (PI) Mats Peter Hedström
Host Institution (HI) LINKOPINGS UNIVERSITET
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), SH2, ERC-2012-ADG_20120411
Summary This proposal outlines a highly ambitious and path-breaking research program. Through a tightly integrated package of basic theoretical work, strategic empirical research projects, international workshops, and a large number of publications in leading journals, the research program seeks to move sociology in a more analytical direction.
One part of the research program focuses on the epistemological and methodological foundations of analytical sociology, an approach to sociological theory and research that currently receives considerable attention in the international scholarly community. This work will be organized around two core themes: (1) the principles of mechanism-based explanations and (2) the micro-macro link.
The empirical research analyzes in great detail the ethnic, gender, and socio-economic segregation of key interaction domains in Sweden using the approach of analytical sociology. The interaction domains focused upon are schools, workplaces and neighborhoods; domains where people spend a considerable part of their time, where much of the social interaction between people takes place, where identities are formed, and where important resources are distributed.
Large-scale longitudinal micro data on the entire Swedish population, unique longitudinal data on social networks within school classes, and various agent-based simulation techniques, are used to better understand the processes through which schools, workplaces and neighborhoods become segregated along various dimensions, how the domains interact with one another, and how the structure and extent of segregation affects diverse social and economic outcomes.
Summary
This proposal outlines a highly ambitious and path-breaking research program. Through a tightly integrated package of basic theoretical work, strategic empirical research projects, international workshops, and a large number of publications in leading journals, the research program seeks to move sociology in a more analytical direction.
One part of the research program focuses on the epistemological and methodological foundations of analytical sociology, an approach to sociological theory and research that currently receives considerable attention in the international scholarly community. This work will be organized around two core themes: (1) the principles of mechanism-based explanations and (2) the micro-macro link.
The empirical research analyzes in great detail the ethnic, gender, and socio-economic segregation of key interaction domains in Sweden using the approach of analytical sociology. The interaction domains focused upon are schools, workplaces and neighborhoods; domains where people spend a considerable part of their time, where much of the social interaction between people takes place, where identities are formed, and where important resources are distributed.
Large-scale longitudinal micro data on the entire Swedish population, unique longitudinal data on social networks within school classes, and various agent-based simulation techniques, are used to better understand the processes through which schools, workplaces and neighborhoods become segregated along various dimensions, how the domains interact with one another, and how the structure and extent of segregation affects diverse social and economic outcomes.
Max ERC Funding
1 745 098 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-03-01, End date: 2018-02-28
Project acronym CACTUS
Project developmental social Cognition and ACTion UnderStanding
Researcher (PI) Kjell Gustaf Gredebäck
Host Institution (HI) UPPSALA UNIVERSITET
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH4, ERC-2012-StG_20111124
Summary Humans are social creatures throughout life. This proposal aims to advance our knowledge of the mechanisms that mediate understanding of others’ actions from a developmental perspective. A special emphasis will be devoted to mirror neuron and teleological frameworks. The former framework focuses on reciprocal motor activation during action execution and observation whereas the later framework emphasizes the application of abstract principles to observed events. The mechanisms that guide both processes will be investigated in isolation, but special attention will also be devoted to understanding how these diverse forms of action understanding jointly contribute to action understanding. The project encompasses three essential research objectives, illustrated by three research questions. How do mirror neuron and teleological processes influence action understanding? How does action understanding enable social action evaluation (empathy and pro-social preferences)? How is action understanding expressed during real-life social interactions? These questions will be addressed by presenting infants and toddlers with social events of varying complexity (from simple actions and animated sequences to complex everyday social events), relating empirical findings to predictions derived from the teleological and motor cognitive frameworks. The overarching aim is to provide a computational model of early emerging social cognitive capabilities, with a focus on action understanding and action evaluation, while passively observing others and while partaking in social interactions with others.
Summary
Humans are social creatures throughout life. This proposal aims to advance our knowledge of the mechanisms that mediate understanding of others’ actions from a developmental perspective. A special emphasis will be devoted to mirror neuron and teleological frameworks. The former framework focuses on reciprocal motor activation during action execution and observation whereas the later framework emphasizes the application of abstract principles to observed events. The mechanisms that guide both processes will be investigated in isolation, but special attention will also be devoted to understanding how these diverse forms of action understanding jointly contribute to action understanding. The project encompasses three essential research objectives, illustrated by three research questions. How do mirror neuron and teleological processes influence action understanding? How does action understanding enable social action evaluation (empathy and pro-social preferences)? How is action understanding expressed during real-life social interactions? These questions will be addressed by presenting infants and toddlers with social events of varying complexity (from simple actions and animated sequences to complex everyday social events), relating empirical findings to predictions derived from the teleological and motor cognitive frameworks. The overarching aim is to provide a computational model of early emerging social cognitive capabilities, with a focus on action understanding and action evaluation, while passively observing others and while partaking in social interactions with others.
Max ERC Funding
1 498 920 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-01-01, End date: 2017-12-31
Project acronym CanCoop
Project Understanding the Proximate Mechanisms of
Canine Cooperation
Researcher (PI) Friederike Range
Host Institution (HI) VETERINAERMEDIZINISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH4, ERC-2012-StG_20111124
Summary Although it is clear that human collaborative skills are exceptional, elucidating similarities and differences of proximate processes underlying cooperative interactions between non-primate and primate taxa may have important implications for our understanding of cooperation in humans and non human-animals via a profound knowledge of 1) socio-cognitive skills as adaptations to specific environments and/or 2) the evolutionary background and origin of our own skills. The closely related wolves and dogs constitute the ideal non-primate model to implement this approach, since cooperation is at the core of their social organization and they are adapted to very different environments.
I propose a series of experiments with wolves (N = 20) and identically raised and kept dogs (N= 20) that will focus on cognitive processes closely linked to the emotional system such as empathy, inequity aversion and delayed gratification that are thought to be involved in triggering and maintaining primate cooperation. In Part 1 of the project, we will investigate whether and to what extent these processes are present in canines, while in Part 2 we will elucidate how they influence partner choice in cooperative interactions. Using social network theory, we will integrate knowledge about animals’ emotional tendencies and cognitive abilities to model canine cooperation. This is an important step towards unifying theoretical and empirical approaches in animal behaviour.
CanCoop incorporates innovative methods and a novel approach that has the potential to elucidate the interactions between proximate and ultimate processes in regard to cooperation. The nature of CanCoop guarantees public and media attention needed for proper societal dissemination of the results, which will be relevant for animal behaviour, social sciences, wildlife and zoo management.
Summary
Although it is clear that human collaborative skills are exceptional, elucidating similarities and differences of proximate processes underlying cooperative interactions between non-primate and primate taxa may have important implications for our understanding of cooperation in humans and non human-animals via a profound knowledge of 1) socio-cognitive skills as adaptations to specific environments and/or 2) the evolutionary background and origin of our own skills. The closely related wolves and dogs constitute the ideal non-primate model to implement this approach, since cooperation is at the core of their social organization and they are adapted to very different environments.
I propose a series of experiments with wolves (N = 20) and identically raised and kept dogs (N= 20) that will focus on cognitive processes closely linked to the emotional system such as empathy, inequity aversion and delayed gratification that are thought to be involved in triggering and maintaining primate cooperation. In Part 1 of the project, we will investigate whether and to what extent these processes are present in canines, while in Part 2 we will elucidate how they influence partner choice in cooperative interactions. Using social network theory, we will integrate knowledge about animals’ emotional tendencies and cognitive abilities to model canine cooperation. This is an important step towards unifying theoretical and empirical approaches in animal behaviour.
CanCoop incorporates innovative methods and a novel approach that has the potential to elucidate the interactions between proximate and ultimate processes in regard to cooperation. The nature of CanCoop guarantees public and media attention needed for proper societal dissemination of the results, which will be relevant for animal behaviour, social sciences, wildlife and zoo management.
Max ERC Funding
1 295 716 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-02-01, End date: 2018-01-31
Project acronym RE-AGEING
Project Reassessing Ageing from a Population Perspective
Researcher (PI) Serguei Jakob Scherbov
Host Institution (HI) INTERNATIONALES INSTITUT FUER ANGEWANDTE SYSTEMANALYSE
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), SH3, ERC-2012-ADG_20120411
Summary Life expectancies in the EU have increased significantly over the past decades and are expected to continue increasing. Age-specific health statuses have also generally been improving. In contrast to these profound changes, the concepts that demographers have used to analyze ageing on a population level have remained largely static. The substantial changes in life expectancy and health status have rendered these traditional demographic measures inadequate for the analysis of ageing at the population level in the 21st century. A better understanding of age and ageing, for both science and policy, requires new approaches. This project will comprehensively reassess population ageing based on innovative alternative definitions of age and ageing as pioneered by the PI.
The project will develop new approaches to the study of age and ageing that are appropriate for 21st century conditions. It will produce new scientific knowledge that is useful in policy formulation and that can educate the public about population ageing and its consequences. Among other things, the proposed project will ascertain the extent to which advanced societies are actually ageing in multiple dimensions, including health, cognitive abilities, and longevity. By addressing such fundamental issues this project will likely have a pronounced impact on future population ageing research.
The new tools and measures developed in the project will facilitate evaluation of the impacts of future changes in public policies, such as increases in statutory pension ages. Applications will be primarily to the EU, but also selected countries experiencing rapid population ageing will be included. The results will be of utmost socioeconomic and political importance for the necessary future restructuring of European pension and health systems in the context of maintaining Europe’s global competitiveness.
Summary
Life expectancies in the EU have increased significantly over the past decades and are expected to continue increasing. Age-specific health statuses have also generally been improving. In contrast to these profound changes, the concepts that demographers have used to analyze ageing on a population level have remained largely static. The substantial changes in life expectancy and health status have rendered these traditional demographic measures inadequate for the analysis of ageing at the population level in the 21st century. A better understanding of age and ageing, for both science and policy, requires new approaches. This project will comprehensively reassess population ageing based on innovative alternative definitions of age and ageing as pioneered by the PI.
The project will develop new approaches to the study of age and ageing that are appropriate for 21st century conditions. It will produce new scientific knowledge that is useful in policy formulation and that can educate the public about population ageing and its consequences. Among other things, the proposed project will ascertain the extent to which advanced societies are actually ageing in multiple dimensions, including health, cognitive abilities, and longevity. By addressing such fundamental issues this project will likely have a pronounced impact on future population ageing research.
The new tools and measures developed in the project will facilitate evaluation of the impacts of future changes in public policies, such as increases in statutory pension ages. Applications will be primarily to the EU, but also selected countries experiencing rapid population ageing will be included. The results will be of utmost socioeconomic and political importance for the necessary future restructuring of European pension and health systems in the context of maintaining Europe’s global competitiveness.
Max ERC Funding
2 249 996 €
Duration
Start date: 2013-04-01, End date: 2019-03-31
