Towards modelling social fluidity II: from cartography to complex models of social fluidity

Abstract

This paper is the second part of a theoretical journey towards an empirically usefulmodeling of the Theory of social fluidity (TSF). Here we describe some theoreticaland mathematical concepts commonly used in the Theories of Complexity (TC), such as: attractor, synergetic change, structural instability, turbulent flux,homeoresis and co-evolution. Then we study their connections to basic conceptsin the understanding of a fluid social reality, such as wrapping, mutual relationality,liminal porosity and chronotopo. Then we are able to identify several modelsimplemented within TC that may be usefully developed in TFS, but, at the sametime, we underline their limits when applied in the more complex frame of TFS,like excessive rigidity in building elements or in description levels (micro/macro). Finally we suggest some ways to widen the uses of these models in complexprocess of contemporary societies, such as the constitution of agency.