Modeling impact of social stratification on the basis of time allocation heuristics in society

Abstract

This paper describes a computational model of time allocation in a social network. It particularly focuses on the impact of inequalities or so called stratification process on the efficiency of resources allocation. The presented model is a multi-agent system with implemented network evolution mechanism. The stratification is modeled by the order in which the agents' actions are executed. The model was tested against as well different initial network parameters as a selection of time allocation heuristics. Efficiency of the system is measured using best applicable measures, e.g. agents schedule usage. By comparing the efficiency of the stratified system against baseline egalitarian system in our simulations we look for the answer whether social stratification brings benefits only for those who are on the top of the pyramid but decreases summarized performance of a society (in comparison to non-stratified systems). © 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland.