The specific application of formal methods—mathematical models, network analysis, formal logic—to the study of group dynamics and social structures. It attempts to reduce the messy complexity of human interaction to equations, graphs, and probabilities, producing beautiful diagrams that capture approximately 30% of what's actually happening. Formal sociology is beloved by academics who love numbers and distrusted by everyone who has ever been in a human relationship and knows that love, hate, and awkward silences don't fit neatly on a graph.
Example: "His formal sociology thesis mapped friendship networks using complex algorithms that predicted who would become friends based on proximity and shared interests. The algorithm correctly predicted 40% of friendships and completely missed the ones that formed because two people happened to hate the same guy. The model had no variable for 'shared enemy,' which was, formally speaking, a mistake."
by Abzugal February 14, 2026
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