Abstract
George C. Homans's small-group theory (1950) occupies a unique position in the histoncal development of sociology. At a time when many sociologists were abandoning their allegiance to science, Homans engaged in basic research, demonstrating how rigorous, parsimonious, and powerful theoretical models could be induced from exammations of real-world phenomena. Not surprisingly, Homans's work became a focus of interest, but only for the few researchers still hopeful of mathematically modeling social systems. The best known of this derivative work is Simon's differential-equation representation of Homans' basic model. Widespread availability of microcomputers now makes it relatively easy to deal with such equations, not merely as symbols on a sheet of paper, but as coherent simulations The program presented here, based on Simon's analysis of Homans's model, invites a wider appreciation of Homans's work.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.