Call for abstracts for a workshop on Computational Models of Ethnocentrism and Diversity

Call for abstracts

Workshop: Beyond Schelling and Axelrod - Computational Models of Ethnocentrism and Diversity

Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.
June 7th – 8th, 2017.
http://davidhales.com/ethnosim2017

Workshop theme:

Ethnocentrism, a positive orientation towards those with the same ethnicity and a negative one towards others, is widely observed in human societies. Several seminal (computational agent-based) social simulation models show how interactions between individuals emerge aspects of ethnocentrism such as in-group bias based on ethnic markers (Hammond & Axelrod 2006); local cultural homogeneity combined with global polarisation (Axelrod 1997); and racial segregation (Schelling 1971). These models have influenced on-going research that inherits similar frameworks and assumptions.

The workshop will spotlight on-going work influenced by, or in response to, these modelling directions. In addition we welcome critical position statements and critiques of the assumptions that such models embody, as well as relevant empirical studies.

Important dates:

• April 7th - abstract submission deadline (e-mail to dave@davidhales.com).
• April 21st - acceptance notification.
• June 7th & 8th - workshop event (two half-days: June 7th 1pm-5pm and
• June 8th 9am-1pm).

Journal special issue:

After the workshop we plan to organise a special issue of a relevant journal on the subject of the workshop including articles based on the best presentations at the workshop. Also, depending on the outcome of the panels and discussion, we may coordinate a collective position / review article to accompany the special issue.

Organisation:

• Bruce Edmonds, Manchester Metropolitan University (bruce@edmonds.name)
• Laurence Lessard-Phillips, Institute for Research into Superdiversity, University of Birmingham (L.Lessard-Phillips@bham.ac.uk).
• David Hales, Manchester Metropolitan University (dave@davidhales.com)

Further details can be found at: http://davidhales.com/ethnosim2017

References:

Axelrod, R. (1997) The dissemination of culture - A model with local convergence and global polarization. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 4(2):203-226.
Hammond, R.A. & Axelrod, R. (2006). The evolution of ethnocentrism. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 50(6):926-936.
Schelling, T.C. (1971). Dynamic models of segregation. Journal of Mathematical Sociology, 1:143-186