Document Type : Original Research Paper
Authors
1
Assistant Professor in Political Sociology, Sociology Department, Faculty of Humanities, Ayatollah Boroujerdi University, Boroujerd, Iran
2
Assistant Professor in Graph Mathematics, Mathematics Department, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Ayatollah Boroujerdi University, Boroujerd, Iran
Abstract
Interdisciplinary studies emerged in the second half of the twentieth century as an academic response to theoretical and research challenges that single disciplines could not adequately address. Within the social sciences, where issues are complex and deeply intertwined, such approaches have gained particular significance. Consequently, the latter half of the twentieth century witnessed the development of multiple interdisciplinary fields. One of these is mathematical sociology, which bridges sociology and mathematics. Its aim is to provide meaning to seemingly unrelated bodies of social data, to render social processes more tangible, and to contribute to the precise construction of theoretical frameworks in sociology. Although initial explorations at the intersection of sociology and mathematics began in the early second half of the twentieth century, the institutionalization of mathematical sociology as a distinct field only took shape toward the end of that century. Despite more than fifty years of research in this domain, however, the field has received little attention within Iranian academia. This article, employing a descriptive–analytical approach and drawing on scholarly sources, reviews the relationship between mathematics and sociology. It emphasizes the critical role of mathematics in sociology and argues for the establishment of mathematical sociology as an academic discipline in Iran. The discussion first outlines the broader context of interdisciplinary studies, then situates mathematical sociology within this framework, and finally explores the applications of mathematics in sociological analysis. Despite existing contributions, mathematical sociology remains underdeveloped and has been largely overlooked by both sociologists and mathematicians. In Iran, this neglect is so pronounced that, despite its significance, mathematical sociology has not yet been introduced even as a university course.
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