Systemics and Information Models
Code
711011043
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Ciências da Comunicação
Credits
6
Teacher in charge
Graça Rocha Simões
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
The main goal of the course is to confer competences (systemic and instrumental) on the relevance of the contributions of the theory of information, of general systems theory and cybernetics (and, in a broader sense, hard sciences) towards the understanding of communication as a human phenomenon, in the technique, interpersonal, group and societal dimensions.
The student must, by the end of the course:
a) Have a high degree of familiarization with me most relevant origins, models and formal theories that have information as its core concept;
b) Have a high degree of familiarization with the most recent developments that sprung from the latter item;
c) Be able to reflect on the applicability of those concepts, models and theories in the analysis of human communication (interpersonal, group, and social).
Prerequisites
None.
Subject matter
1. The Mathematical Theory of Communication (Shannon and Weaver).
2. Basic notions of Cybernetics (Wiener).
3. General Systems Theory (Bertalanffy).
4. Systems classification and descripton.
5. From Von Neumanns cellular automata to the notion of emergence. Fundaments of Network Theory.
6. Applications and limits of the systemic approach.
a. Computers and the human mind: Artificial Intelligence.
b. Sociology and systemics: applicability of systemic theories to the social complexity.
Bibliography
BARABÁSI, Albert-Lázló, Linked: How Everything is Connected to Everything else and what it means for Business, Science and Everyday Life, Nova Iorque, Plume, 2003.
FRANKLIN, Stan, Mentes Artificiais, Lisboa, Relógio dÁgua, 2000.
WIENER, Norbert, Cibernética e Sociedade: O Uso Humano de Seres Humanos, São Paulo, Cultrix, 1984.
PARSONS, Talcott, O Sistema das Sociedades Modernas, São Paulo, Livraria Pioneira Editora, 1974.
WEAVER, Warren e SHANNON, Claude E., The Mathematical Theory of Communication, Urbana (IL), University of Illinois Press, 1963.
Teaching method
The teaching method is mostly expository (60%), but new technologies will also be used (40%) to show some models of analysis in its operational context (e. g. von Neumanns cellular automata).
Evaluation method
A written and presencial element (written test) on the whole syllabus (50%).
And individual essay (5 to 8 pages) that gives a deeper view of one of the main items of the program (chosen by the student) (50%).
Written test: 60h, 50%; Individual essay: 40h, 50%