Behavior Modeling

Thomas C. Schelling's "Micromotives and Macrobehavior" provides material that Social Scientists like Schelling use in developing their theories and conclusions about socio-economic behavior demonstrated by people in communities and countries. Schelling describes socio-economic models that reflect "critical mass" situations which illustrate the cyclic behavior of population groups. For example, a critical mass model had been developed to capture the cyclic behavior of measles outbreaks in a poverty-stricken African community. After children were immunized against measles, mothers felt the risk had disappeared since there was no sign of the disease. The mothers would then neglect further immunizations allowing the disease within a short time to return. Once again, the mothers would have their children protected and the cycle of disease/no disease would thus continue.

One of the most famous portions of Schelling's book is his discussion on immigration. The immigration phenomena that falls within the "tipping" category...