Showing papers on "Social system published in 2014"

What Is Energy For? Social Practice and Energy Demand:

Abstract: Energy has an ambivalent status in social theory, variously figuring as a driver or an outcome of social and institutional change, or as something that is woven into the fabric of society itself. In this article the authors consider the underlying models on which different approaches depend. One common strategy is to view energy as a resource base, the management and organization of which depends on various intersecting systems: political, economic and technological. This is not the only route to take. The authors develop an alternative approach, viewing energy supply and energy demand as part of the ongoing reproduction of bundles and complexes of social practice. In articulating and comparing these two positions they show how social-theoretical commitments influence the ways in which problems like those of reducing carbon emissions are framed and addressed. Whereas theories of practice highlight basic questions about what energy is for, these issues are routinely and perhaps necessarily obscured by those who see energy as an abstract resource that structures or that is structured by a range of interlocking social systems.

The autopoiesis of social systems

Abstract: It is not possible to conceive of social systems as autopoietic systems if one departs from actions. But Luhmann’s theory opts for communication as the basic unit of social systems. The …

The Complexity–Sustainability Trade‐Off in Niklas Luhmann's Social Systems Theory

Abstract: This paper explores the way the idea of sustainability is linked to categories traditionally examined by the general systems theory—the categories of system, environment, and complexity. Toward this end, the paper builds upon the social systems theory of Niklas Luhmann to explain the nature of the trade-off between complexity and sustainability. Exemplified by Luhmann's theory of ecological communication, the trade-off emerges because the growing systemic complexity entails the increasing risk that systems develop insensitivity to those environmental conditions on which they critically depend. The key implication of the trade-off is that it may be rational for social systems to withdraw their internal complexity to maintain their sustainability in a given environment. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Stripped of illusions? Exploring system justification processes in capitalist and post-Communist societies.

Abstract: Sociologists and political scientists have often observed that citizens of Central and Eastern Europe express high levels of disillusionment with their social, economic and political systems, in comparison with citizens of Western capitalist societies. In this review, we analyze system legitimation and delegitimation in post-Communist societies from a social psychological perspective. We draw on system justification theory, which seeks to understand how, when and why people do (and do not) defend, bolster and justify existing social systems. We review some of the major tenets and findings of the theory and compare research on system-justifying beliefs and ideologies in traditionally Capitalist and post-Communist countries to determine: (1) whether there are robust differences in the degree of system justification in post-Communist and Capitalist societies, and (2) the extent to which hypotheses derived from system justification theory receive support in the post-Communist context. To this end, we summarize research findings from over 20 countries and cite previously unpublished data from a public opinion survey conducted in Poland. Our analysis confirms that there are lower levels of system justification in post-Communist countries. At the same time, we find that system justification possesses similar social and psychological antecedents, manifestations and consequences in the two types of societies. We offer potential explanations for these somewhat complicated patterns of results and conclude by addressing implications for theory and research on system justification and system change (or transition).

Public goods in relation to competition, cooperation, and spite

Abstract: Public goods and common-pool resources are fundamental features of biological and social systems, and pose core challenges in achieving sustainability; for such situations, the immediate interests of individuals and the societies in which they are embedded are in potential conflict, involving game-theoretic considerations whose resolution need not serve the collective good. Evolution has often confronted such dilemmas—e.g., in bacterial biofilms—in the challenges of cancer, in nitrogen fixation and chelation, in the production of antibiotics, and in collective action problems across animal groups; there is much to learn from the Darwinian resolution of these situations for how to address problems our societies face today. Addressing these problems involves understanding the emergence of cooperative agreements, from reciprocal altruism and insurance arrangements to the social norms and more formal institutions that maintain societies. At the core are the issues of how individuals and societies discount the future and the interests of others, and the degree that individual decisions are influenced by regard for others. Ultimately, as Garrett Hardin suggested, the solution to problems of the commons is in “mutual coercion, mutually agreed upon,” and hence in how groups of individuals form and how they arrive at decisions that ultimately benefit all.

Connecting the person to the social: The functions of social identification.

Abstract: After decades of emphasizing the individual, U.S. social psychologists have rediscovered the social self. Nudged by their European colleagues, who have typically placed more emphasis on group-level phenomena (Doise, 1986), significant numbers of U.S. investigators have turned their attention to questions that address the links between self and others. Social psycholo­ gists are theoretically committed to exploring the links between individuals and their social worlds. Yet, with our skill in creating specific social settings for experimental participants, we sometimes fail to pay attention to the larger social system in which people actually engage, choose, respond, and despair. A comprehensive analysis of the social self needs to attend to these issues and to develop theoretical models that explicitly incorporate the social as well as the individual.

Social Media Surveillance

Abstract: Human beings are routinely aware of their environment, noting the behavior of others nearby. This surveillance occurs in every social system, including on social media websites such as Twitter, Google+, YouTube, and Facebook. The companies providing these services use this data to create profiles that can be used to show users targeted advertisements. This has been enabled by rapid development of computing and communication technologies. Social media users spend a great deal of time curating online “exhibitions” of different aspects of their identities. This is especially important to young people developing independent identities and peer relationships. The use of social networks is a key part of this process in advanced economies, critical for friendships, social capital, and popularity. Social media surveillance reduces individuals' control over the information they disclose about their attributes in different social contexts, often to powerful actors such as the state or multinational corporations. This limits their ability to regulate their social interactions and identities. It may also have a “chilling effect” on the possibilities for whistle-blowing and democratic activism. More broadly, new surveillance technologies can lead to “social sorting,” where discrimination and privilege are entrenched through the unplanned consequences of data gathering and analysis. Keywords: human rights; identity; new media; privacy; social media; sousveillance; surveillance

Relaunching migration systems

Abstract: The concept of the migration system, first popularized in the 1970s, has remained a staple component of any review of migration theory. Since then, it has been cast somewhat adrift from its conceptual moorings; today in the literature migration systems are generally either conflated with migrant networks or elevated to the heights of macro-level abstraction which divorces them from any empirical basis. At the same time, by taking on board more sophisticated notions of agency, emergence, and social mechanisms, the broader concept of the social system has moved on from the rather discredited structural−functionalist marina where it was first launched. In recent years, having been rejected by many social theorists, the social system has been subject to major reconstruction prior to its relaunch as a respectable and valuable area of social enquiry. This article argues that, for the most part, these developments in systems theory have been ignored by those applying the concept of systems to the analysis of migration. It addresses the question of how the concept of the migration system can be reformulated in the light of these theoretical advances and what implications this may have for our research and analysis.

The Standard of ‘Civilisation’, the Expansion Thesis and the 19th-century International Social Space

Abstract: This article identifies a series of gaps in the English school�s thesis of the �expansion of international society� from European to global extension, and presents two propositions that can correct these problems, and so give us a better understanding of the social space in which 19th-century international relations were carried on. First, we should replace the concept of �expansion� with �stratification�, changing the terms of the enquiry from an examination of �entry into� the society of states to an exploration of who was where in the 19th-century international social system. Secondly, we should add a more relational analysis of patterns of association to the English school�s predominantly institutionalist approach to the analysis of the structure of international society. To flesh out these two proposals, the article presents a neo-Weberian framework for thinking about international social stratification and an empirical analysis of patterns of treaty-making.

Where diversity comes from and why it matters

Abstract: In this essay, I describe some of the benefits of cognitive diversity in a complex world as well as the origins of that diversity. The essay has two main parts sandwiched between a brief description of what I mean by diversity and complexity, as well as a brief discussion of whether social systems produce sufficient diversity. In the first part, I describe models that provide insight into why we see the levels of diversity that we do. These models rest on social psychological foundations but borrow ideas from economics as well as population genetics. In the second part, I describe the functional benefits of diversity. I show how diverse predictive models can make a collection of people better able to make accurate predictions, how diverse perspectives and heuristics can enable groups of problem solvers to find innovative new solutions to problems, and how diverse behaviors and representations of the world can make a society more robust. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Children’s Participation in Communication Systems: A Theoretical Perspective to Shape Research

Abstract: This paper aims to clarify the meaning of children’s participation in the relationship between children’s individual action and the social treatment and consequences of this action. For this purpose, the paper explores the integration of different theoretical approaches that can shape research on children’s participation, looking at interactions, complex social systems that include interactions, and narratives that are produced in these complex social systems. This integration allows the understanding of the ways in which children actively participate in communication processes, social structures condition children’s active participation, and children’s active participation can enhance structural change in social systems, through the implementation of promotional communication systems. The paper highlights the following paradox: the relevance of children’s action for social change depends on the relevance of adults’ action in promoting children’s actions. This theoretical perspective is exemplified in the case of promotion of children’s active participation in the education system through the empirical analysis of cases of videotaped and transcribed interactions, highlighting facilitation systems of classroom communication. The analyzed data are based on a field research in Italian classrooms regarding a specific methodology of facilitation of communication. The analysis of these data shows the ways in which the facilitation system creates the paradoxical relationship between structures that condition children’s active participation and children’s active participation that enhances structural change. The paper highlights a new way of dealing with children’s participation, based on a social constructionist, systemic, and interactionist approach.

Anti-feminist backlash: The role of system justification in the rejection of feminism

Abstract: System justification theory (SJT) posits that people are motivated to believe that the social system they live in is fair, desirable, and how it should be, especially in contexts that heighten the ...

Social support systems as determinants of self-management and quality of life of people with diabetes across Europe: study protocol for an observational study.

Abstract: Background: Long-term conditions pose major challenges for healthcare systems. Optimizing self-management of people with long-term conditions is an important strategy to improve quality of life, health outcomes, patient experiences in healthcare, and the sustainability of healthcare systems. Much research on self-management focuses on individual competencies, while the social systems of support that facilitate self-management are underexplored. The presented study aims to explore the role of social systems of support for self-management and quality of life, focusing on the social networks of people with diabetes and community organisations that serve them. Methods: The protocol concerns a cross-sectional study in 18 geographic areas in six European countries, involving a total of 1800 individuals with diabetes and 900 representatives of community organisations. In each country, we include a deprived rural area, a deprived urban area, and an affluent urban area. Individuals are recruited through healthcare practices in the targeted areas. A patient questionnaire comprises measures for quality of life, self-management behaviours, social network and social support, as well as individual characteristics. A community organisations’ survey maps out interconnections between community and voluntary organisations that support patients with chronic illness and documents the scope of work of the different types of organisations. We first explore the structure of social networks of individuals and of community organisations. Then linkages between these social networks, self-management and quality of life will be examined, taking deprivation and other factors into account. Discussion: This study will provide insight into determinants of self-management and quality of life in individuals with diabetes, focusing on the role of social networks and community organisations.

The Theory of Conditionality: An Illustration of the Place of Norms in the Field of Social Thinking

Abstract: In the field of the central core theory of social representations, research which has focused on the normative aspects is relatively recent as it dates back little more than ten years. The theory of conditionality which developed from research into the periphery of representation results from this. It is a particularly fruitful theory to explain “normative latitudes” and the behaviour accruing to them. One of the particularities of these works stresses the importance of linking the normative aspects with specific methods and/or analyses. In this paper, we will illustrate it via a specific tool developed in the field of traffic psychology: the Conditional Script Questionnaire (CSQ). This approach makes it possible to highlight the interactions between two systems of norms: the legal system and the social system. The implication of norms is fundamental in different processes already studied such as social influence or identity processes, and this article can be considered as an illustration of the place of norms in the field of social thinking.

Social systems and life-history characteristics of mongooses.

Abstract: The diversity of extant carnivores provides valuable opportunities for comparative research to illuminate general patterns of mammalian social evolution. Recent field studies on mongooses (Herpestidae), in particular, have generated detailed behavioural and demographic data allowing tests of assumptions and predictions of theories of social evolution. The first studies of the social systems of their closest relatives, the Malagasy Eupleridae, also have been initiated. The literature on mongooses was last reviewed over 25 years ago. In this review, we summarise the current state of knowledge on the social organisation, mating systems and social structure (especially competition and cooperation) of the two mongoose families. Our second aim is to evaluate the contributions of these studies to a better understanding of mammalian social evolution in general. Based on published reports or anecdotal information, we can classify 16 of the 34 species of Herpestidae as solitary and nine as group-living; there are insufficient data available for the remainder. There is a strong phylogenetic signal of sociality with permanent complex groups being limited to the genera Crossarchus, Helogale, Liberiictis, Mungos, and Suricata. Our review also indicates that studies of solitary and social mongooses have been conducted within different theoretical frameworks: whereas solitary species and transitions to gregariousness have been mainly investigated in relation to ecological determinants, the study of social patterns of highly social mongooses has instead been based on reproductive skew theory. In some group-living species, group size and composition were found to determine reproductive competition and cooperative breeding through group augmentation. Infanticide risk and inbreeding avoidance connect social organisation and social structure with reproductive tactics and life histories, but their specific impact on mongoose sociality is still difficult to evaluate. However, the level of reproductive skew in social mongooses is not only determined by the costs and benefits of suppressing each other's breeding attempts, but also influenced by resource abundance. Thus, dispersal, as a consequence of eviction, is also linked to the costs of co-breeding in the context of food competition. By linking these facts, we show that the socio-ecological model and reproductive skew theory share some determinants of social patterns. We also conclude that due to their long bio-geographical isolation and divergent selection pressures, future studies of the social systems of the Eupleridae will be of great value for the elucidation of general patterns in carnivore social evolution.

‘Getting things done’: an everyday-life perspective towards bridging the gap between intentions and practices in health-related behavior

Abstract: SUMMARY In this paper, we aim to add a new perspective to supporting health-related behavior. We use the everyday-life view to point at the need to focus on the social and practical organization of the concerned behavior. Where most current approaches act disjointedly on clients and the social and physical context, we take the clients’ own behavior within the dynamics of everyday context as the point of departure. From this point, healthy behavior is not a distinguishable action, but a chain of activities, often embedded in other social practices. Therefore, changing behavior means changing the social system in which one lives, changing a shared lifestyle or changing the dominant values or existing norms. Often, clients experience that this is not that easy. From the everyday-life perspective, the basic strategy is to support the client, who already has a positive intention, to ‘get things done’. This strategy might be applied to those cases, where a gap is found between good intentions and bad behavior.

On Social Solidarity

Abstract: We believe it is necessary to understand solidarity as one mode of relation or operation among others in human social life. It is not the only mode of human relations in social life, but it is also a distinct type of human relating that is fundamental and necessary. In contrast to this multimode view of different types of human social relations, sociological theory has long been tempted to reduce all of human social experience to one or another mode of operation. One approach frames human social life as all about the group struggles for domination and status on fields of contention. Another theorizes social existence as all about actors following norms toward the meeting of the social system’s functional requisites to ensure society’s survival and proper functioning. Still another conceives of humans as atomistic, rational cost-benefit calculators seeking to maximize their own utility. The list of reductionistic theories that compress the complexities of human social life into one-dimensional descriptive and explanatory frameworks could be lengthened. By contrast, we approach the question as critical realists, understanding the task of social science to be best described by the philosophy of critical realism (Bhaskar 1979, 2008; C. Smith 2010; Danermark et al. 2002; Archer 1995; Sayer 1992). That means in part that we understand reality to be differentiated, stratified, emergent, and complex; that the job of theory is to well describe what exists in reality and how it works; and so theory must strive toward “adequate complexity” in its descriptive and explanatory accounts to capture and represent the real multidimensional nature of human life and experience, instead of providing what turn out to be simplistic accounts in the name of parsimony.

Social Revolution and the Commons

Abstract: What does it mean to say no to a capitalist social system that has the power to put life to work for its own development and, in so doing, shapes subjectivities, horizons, architectures, urban and rural spaces, life rhythms, ecologies, and polities in its own image? This question arises with particular urgency in the midst of one of the deepest capitalist crises, with its catastrophic social and ecological consequences. This article argues that the answer to our question resides ultimately in a particular type of social power, one that recomposes the social practice of the commons to achieve autonomy from capital, especially and initially in matters of social reproduction (food, health, care, housing, knowledge, and education).

The Frenzy of Fields: An Interview with Neil Fligstein on Field-Theory and Social Skill

Abstract: In their ongoing attempts to define the basic architecture of the social world, sociologists have repeatedly turned to the idea of an ‘intermediate’ concept of social structure. Led by the intuition that something is needed to bridge the gap between the ‘macro-level’ of society as a whole and the ‘micro-level’ of individual practice, several authors have attempted to formulate the notion of a ‘meso-level’ social order. While embedded in the general fabric of social space and hence exposed to the structural forces it exerts, these local social orders are nevertheless thought of as having their own internal dynamics and relatively autonomous principles of organisation. Classical examples of this idea can already be found in Max Weber’s (1946 [1915]) notion of ‘spheres of value’ (Wertsphare) or Karl Mannheim’s idea of ‘sector fields’ (1940) . More recently, a similar intuition has informed such seemingly disparate intellectual projects as Luhmann’s theory of ‘self-referential social systems’ (1995), DiMaggio’s and Powell’s conception of ‘organisational fields’ (1983), Abbott’s (1988, 2005) work on ‘ecologies’ and, perhaps most famously of all, Pierre Bourdieu’s (1993, 1996, 1998) work on ‘fields’. The latter has been particularly instrumental in developing what has come to be known as a ‘field-theoretical’ perspective within sociology (for a highly insightful overview of the origins and developments of this perspective within sociology, see Martin 2003). One of the latest additions in this line of field-theoretical inquiry is A Theory of Fields (2012), the most recent book by Neil Fligstein and Doug McAdam. The central aim of A Theory of Fields is highly ambitious: to present the outline

The Spatial Context of Social Integration

Abstract: Social integration is the harmonious and coherent processing of the structures of a social system and refers to the degree to which people are integrated to the systems of a social structure. Although social integration issue is often considered on a regional scale and especially in association with the migration literature, it is also associated with urban dynamics. Especially in metropolitan cities, it is a process that shapes the opportunities and resources of urban life, such as socio-cultural life, the built environment and urban services. This paper aims to analyze the spatial differentiation of the interactive dimension of social integration in the case of Istanbul. It describes different forms and levels of social relations of the residents of Istanbul while also depicting the interaction between social integration and location, particularly in terms of residential area characteristics. With this aim, different types of social relations are analyzed using statistical and spatial analysis methods. The results of the study indicate that different social groups which are integrated into the macro structures of the society with different degrees produce different forms of social relations and they also live in residential areas which differ with their environmental quality.

Financial, economic and social systems: French Regulation School, Social Structures of Accumulation and Post-Keynesian approaches compared

Abstract: This paper surveys some of the important literatures on financial, economic and social systems with an eye towards explaining the tendencies towards 'financialisation'. We focus on important strands of this literature: the French Regulation School, the US-based Social Structures of Accumulation approach, the contributions by several Post-Keynesian authors, with a focus on the long-run views contained in Hyman Minsky's work, in particular. In our comparative assessment of these approaches, we adopt the following four steps procedure: First, we sketch the basic structure of the approaches in order to single out how each of them views the interaction between social institutions and the economy and the related dynamics regarding the development of the institutional structure and the associated stages or regimes of economic development. Second, we describe how these approaches view the structural breaks or the regime shifts in the long-run development of modern capitalism, which has triggered or at least has contributed to the emergence of a type of capitalism dominated by finance (financialisation). Third, we outline how these different approaches view the main characteristics and features of financialisation. Fourth, we deal with the respective views on the consequences of financialisation for long-run economic and social development including the crisis of this stage of development.

Building Research Collaboration Networks - An Interpersonal Perspective for Research Capacity Building

Abstract: While collaboration is increasingly recognized to be important for research, researchers' collaboration networks are still not adequately recognized as a form of research capacity in the literature. Research is a knowledge creation activity and interpersonal research collaboration networks are important for knowledge cross-fertilization and research productivity. By referring to social network theories, this paper argues that research collaboration networks are a form of research capacity at interpersonal level. It complements capacity building at individual, organizational and inter-organizational levels. However, building research collaborations can be challenging. Three key issues are raised for discussion. First, collaboration networks have nonlinear effect on research productivity. Second, fostering heterophilous communications and maintaining degrees of heterophily can be contradicting and thus challenging. Third, building research collaboration networks proactively requires shifi of research management philosophy as well as invention of analytical tools for research management. Debates and solutions with regard to these issues may contribute to the advancement of theory and practice of research management.Keywords: Capacity Building, Research Collaboration, Social Network TheoriesIntroductionThe development of social network theories has revealed that social structure of relationships around a person, group, or organization affects beliefe and behaviors (Burt, Kilduff, & Tasselli, 2013). For example, in research on innovation diffusion, Ryan and Gross (1943) find that Iowa farmers' adoption of hybrid-seed corn was mostly influenced by their neighbors, even though the farmers first heard the innovation from commercial salesmen. Godley, Sharkey and Weiss (2013) demonstrate that office location is one of the strongest predictors of grant collaborations amongst neuroscientists within an institute. Rogers (2003) further points out that interpersonal linkages among individuals in a social system can influence the communication flow and promote the adoption and diffusion of innovations in the system.Increasingly, researchers are working in collaborations to address complex research issues. Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) are giving incentives for their researchers to take part in international collaborative projects. Funding agencies also favors collaborative research because it can draw diverse expertise, promote creativity and innovation and therefore lead to scientific breakthroughs. Social networks have been the subject of both empirical and theoretical studies in the social sciences for at least 50 years but has only been recently applied to research collaborations (Godley, et al., 2013; Woo, Kang, & Martin, 2013).Implicit in social network theory is the assumption that there are outcomes associated with the connections. It is the thesis of this paper that research collaboration networks derive benefits to higher education institutions (HEIs). This author argues that of two hypothetical institutes (Figure 1), Institute Bs intentional connections provide greater opportunity for research collaboration than does Institute A wherein the researchers work in isolation. The author further claims that Institute B has higher research capacity as compared to Institute A.This paper will focus on three important topics. Are social network theories relevant to research management? Can research institutes be informed by social network theories to promote research collaborations? What limitations do social network theories have when applying to research collaborations? In addition, this paper seeks to provide a theoretical framework for the role of research administration and capacity building through social networks. By linking social network theories with research management, the paper hopes to make contribution to the theory and practice of research capacity building.To anchor this paper theoretically, social network theories are briefly introduced in the next section. …

The Oak Ridges Moraine as a Social Innovation: Strategic Vision as a Social-Ecological Interaction

Abstract: The Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM) case is unique in that it represents a social innovation in Canadian, if not North American, ecosystem-based land-use planning A social innovation is an initiative, product, process, or program that profoundly changes the basic routines, resources, and authority flows or beliefs of any social system Successful social innovations have durability and broad impact We interpret the narrative of the ORM conservation process to explore the utility of an emerging social innovation conceptual model, the 'vision as social interaction' framework using resilience thinking and the role of vision in social change within complex social-ecological systems Qualitative data from two interrelated studies of the moraine were reinterpreted and include 38 in-depth, semistructured interviews conducted between 2004-2006, as well as extensive participant observation at over 50 moraine conservation meetings, workshops, and events The results of our study indicate that emerging model of social innovation can be linked with other models of 'radical change' such as those that employ concepts like 'policy windows' to describe opportunities for continued innovation once an initiative has reached the routinized phase Just as with the panarchy cycle, when a social-ecological system reaches the conservation phase, the system has a propensity to collapse and reorganize Rather than seeing this as the end of an initiative or program, such as is the case with the ORM, stakeholders can see it as an opportunity for reorganization with newly released resources and new opportunities

How scientists may ‘benefit from the mess’: A resource dependence perspective on individual organizing in contemporary science

Abstract: There is general consensus in the study of science, and especially research policy studies, that a wave of profound change has struck academic science in the past decades. Central parts of this change are increased competition, growing demands of relevance and excellence, and managerialism reforms in institutions and policy systems. The underpinning thesis of this article is that, if seen from the perspective of individual scientists, these changes are exogenous and lead to greater environmental complexity and uncertainty, which in turn induces or forces individuals towards strategic planning and organizing in order to maintain control over their own research programs. Recent empirical studies have made various worthy contributions to the understanding of the macro-level (institutions, policy and funding systems, and broader epistemic developments) and the micro-level (individual and group behavior) developments of the social system of science, but there is a lack of comprehensive conceptual tools for analysis of change and its effect on individual scientists. This article takes the first steps towards developing a conceptual scheme for use in empirical studies of the (strategic) response of individual scientists to exogenous change, based on an adaptation of Resource Dependence Theory (RDT). The intended theoretical contribution builds on conceptualization of the individual researcher as crucially able to act rationally and strategically in the face of potentially conflicting demands from a growingly unpredictable environment. Defining a basic framework for a broad future research program, the article adds to the knowledge about the recent changes to the academic research system and calls for renewed interest in organizing in science and an analysis of the complex social system of science from the perspective of its smallest performing units: individuals.

Caring for the future: The systemic design of flourishing enterprises

Abstract: Human commerce utilizes the most significant share of natural resources and produces the largest aggregate impact on the earth’s environment. As a consequence of modern employment and work cultures, commerce also defines and directs much of the social contract and social organizational forms in developed societies. Sustainable development movements to conserve resources and to democratize or enhance organizational practices have called for culture change or transformation. However, these approaches have not yielded results that will significantly enhance human flourishing in the face of globalized commerce. We further assert that alignment toward sustainable development or so-called corporate sustainability are misguided and systemically depreciative, as they purport to sustain activities that foreseeably accelerate ecological degradation. We propose a modeling system for co-creating strongly sustainable enterprises that will foster whole system flourishing across living ecosystems and vibrant social systems. This systemic design approach to business transformation functions at the level of the business model. We claim that business model design affords the highest leverage across all modes of organizing for collective cultural adoption ecosystemic practices.

Longitudinal Social Science Research in Natural Resource Communities: Lessons and Considerations

Abstract: The majority of social science research is cross-sectional in nature, with data collected at a single point in time. However, social systems are dynamic and many of the variables of interest to social scientists may change over time. Longitudinal research methods enable data collection at two or more points in time among a population of interest to examine change in measured variables and influencing factors. Despite the opportunities it affords, longitudinal research is relatively uncommon in natural-resource-based social science research as compared to other fields (e.g., medical, criminal, education). We feel that the field of natural resource social science is ripe for a proliferation of longitudinal studies, now that a substantial body of cross-sectional data has been built. In the spirit of encouraging more of this type of research, we draw on our collective experiences in longitudinal studies to share lessons learned in research design, sampling, and data management.

Managing subjects, manufacturing citizens: Picturing sites of social control in nineteenth-century America

Abstract: This article examines structures of social control that became institutionalized in the United States in the 1870s and 1880s. In particular, it examines how key philanthropic and penal institutions within New York City, including the school, workhouse and prison, were represented in the illustrated popular press as sites for both controlling and training an industrializing workforce. Examining how the language of scientific management seeped into the social realm, this essay argues that visual representations of these sites helped to reinforce normative middle-class ideals about education, work and punishment. Examining the ways that artists interpreted and framed these sites for a group of primarily middle-class viewers and readers, this essay argues that social systems helped to construct an ideal, imagined citizen who is, first and foremost, an efficient worker. The purpose of these institutions was, in main part, to teach their inmates to labor and to replicate the state apparatus by maintaining socia...

Reflections on the Complexity of Ancient Social Heterarchies: Toward New Models of Social Self-Organization in Pre-Hispanic Colombia

Abstract: All political systems have limitations in their information processing and action capacities to face large-scale crises and challenges, but especially if they happen to be too hierarchically and centrally controlled systems. In contrast, some other cultures whose political structure is heterarchically organized, such as the Zenu, the Muiscas, and the Tayronas in pre-Hispanic Colombia, presented adaptiveness even without advanced scientific knowledge and without powerful centralized top-down control. We therefore propose that creating and analyzing computer models of their decentralized processes of management could provide a broader perspective on the possibilities of self-organized political systems. Our hope is that this approach will eventually go beyond the scope of basic science. It seeks to promote more computer- model-based research of social systems that exhibit an adaptive balance of flexibility and robustness, i.e., systems that do not rely on the current ideal of rule-based control of all systemic aspects, with the practical aim of improving current social and political processes.