SIMSOC: Simulated Society, Participant's Manual Fifth Edition (Participant's Manual)

SIMSOC: Participant's ManualSIMSOC (which is pronounced sim-sock and stands for simulated society) is a dynamic group simulation game that forces participants to cope with the daily problems of governing society. Assuming a variety of roles, the players grapple with issues like abuse of power, justice, diversity, trust, and leadership as they negotiate their way through labor-management strife, political turmoil, and natural disasters. SIMSOC imposes few rules and restrictions upon its participants. There is no programmed outcome. Success or failure is dependent upon decisions made by players and the creativity of the group. To be successful, players must utilize every basic social process from cooperation and reward to threat and punishment. SIMSOC will make participants ask questions about social control, and bring everyday experience and deeper understanding to even the most arcane social and organizational theory.Included in this Fifth Edition of SIMSOC'sParticipant's Manualare instructions for playing, materials for play, study questions based on participation, and selected readings about simulation games, leadership, and social processes. New to the Fifth Edition are additional size levels to accommodate larger groups, simplified rules, and readings by authors from Nicholas Lemann to Robert Putnam.Each SIMSOC participant should have a copy of theParticipant's Manualand the instructor a copy of SIMSOC'sCoordinator's Manual,which contains additional materials needed for play and directions on how to set up and run SIMSOC. OneCoordinator's Manualwill be needed for each SIMSOC exercise of up to ninety participants. It can be obtained, for a $5.00 fee, by writing, on letterhead, to:The Free PressA Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.Faculty Service Desk1230 Avenue of the AmericasNew York, NY 10020

William A. Gamson, the former President of the American Sociological Association, is also a former Guggenheim Fellow and Professor in Boston College's Sociology Department. He is the creator of SIMSOC and author, among others, of Talking Politics, The Strategy of Social Protest, and Power and Discontent.