5. System Dynamics

Recent social and economic developments have raised concerns regarding various social issues such as those involving the environment, food, depopulation and aging, and garbage. Environmental and food problems occur on a global scale, while other issues are considered regional. It is very difficult to design investigations to clarify possible causes and solutions because these social issues are derived from various complex human activities. To solve these problems, we must elucidate their mechanisms and clarify the relationships among various events in the field. For these purposes, an approach that investigates the causes of social issues by considering society in the form of a model and connecting causal relationships among events can be effective. We can thereby understand society through the behavior of a social model and can predict future situations. System dynamics is a computer simulation technique that is highly useful for understanding society based on logical thinking. In this chapter, the concepts of system dynamics and its applications are introduced.