Here is an article and area of research that may cause social
scientists to find themselves going around in circles, literally that is,
at the automobile race track. This should be interesting reading for
those in the social sciences and sport sciences, especially people
interested in psychology, social psychology and sport psychology. Even if
you do not read the article, I hope some on this list find this abstract
interesting. Consider this an introduction, as well, to First Monday, an
internet journal that regularly contains very interesting articles.
Sincerely,
David Dillard
Temple University
(215) 204-4584
jwne@astro.temple.edu
Check My Articles on Database Searching
http://www.Edu-CyberPG.com/
Click on Ringleaders and Then Reference
Diversity University Collaboratory Mailing List (DUC)
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/diversity.html
MSNBC.com AND USA TODAY HOT SITE PICK AWARDS
The Educational CyberPlayGround <http://www.edu-cyberpg.com>
Diversity University Collaboratory Listserv [DUC]
<http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/diversity.html>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Social Science at 190 MPH on NASCAR's Biggest Superspeedways
by David Ronfeldt
In aerodynamically intense stock-car races like the Daytona 500, the
drivers form into multi-car draft lines to gain extra speed. A driver who
does not enter a draft line (slipstream) will lose. Once in a line, a
driver must attract a drafting partner in order to break out and try to
get further ahead. Thus the effort to win leads to ever-shifting patterns
of cooperation and competition among rivals. This provides a curious
laboratory for several social science theories: (1) complexity theory,
since the racers self-organize into structures that oscillate between
order and chaos; (2) social network analysis, since draft lines are line
networks whose organization depends on a driver's social capital as well
as his human capital; and (3) game theory, since racers face a "prisoner's
dilemma" in seeking drafting partners who will not defect and leave them
stranded. Perhaps draft lines and related "bump and run" tactics amount to
a little-recognized dynamic of everyday life, including in structures
evolving on the Internet.
http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue5_2/ronfeldt/
MSNBC.com AND USA TODAY HOT SITE PICK AWARDS
The Educational CyberPlayGround <http://www.edu-cyberpg.com>
Diversity University Collaboratory Listserv [DUC]
<http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/diversity.html>