Towards a Link between Quantitative and Qualitative Sciences to Understand Social Systems Using the Example of...

Area of Science:

• Urban studies
• Social sciences
• Mathematical modeling

Background:

• Urbanization is a defining global trend, necessitating models to predict urban changes driven by human behavior.
• Social sciences employ qualitative and quantitative approaches to describe human behavior, each with unique strengths.
• Informal settlements are a dominant global settlement type, often studied as self-organizing entities or Turing systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the temporal evolution of informal settlements.
• To demonstrate the necessity of both qualitative and quantitative methods for understanding urban phenomena.
• To propose a novel framework for integrating diverse modeling approaches.

Main Methods:

• Review of qualitative and quantitative modeling approaches in social sciences.
• Analysis of informal settlements as case studies for temporal evolution.
• Development of a conceptual framework inspired by C. S. Peirce's philosophy.

Main Results:

• Both qualitative and quantitative methods are essential for a comprehensive understanding of informal settlements.
• Existing conceptual and mathematical models offer partial insights into settlement dynamics.
• A unified framework can enhance the holistic understanding of complex urban phenomena.

Conclusions:

• Integrating qualitative and quantitative modeling approaches provides a more holistic understanding of informal settlements.
• Mathematical modeling language is key to unifying diverse perspectives on urban change.
• This integrated approach is vital for addressing the complexities of urbanization.