2012
This project explores how sociocybernetics can contribute to understanding possible world futures. Sociocybernetics is concerned with applying theories and methods from cybernetics and the systems sciences to the social sciences by offering concepts and tools for addressing problems holistically and globally. With its distinction between first order studies of observed systems and the second order study of observing systems, sociocybernetics provides a unifying epistemological and methodological conceptual framework. Within this framework, sociocybernetics accommodates a wealth of specialisms in the social sciences, ranging, for example, from the drivers and effects of technological development to sustainability to justice. The shared framework facilitates communication between social science specialisms and also between the social sciences, the natural sciences and the applied, technological sciences. A central concept in cybernetics is ‘governance’, the art of steersmanship. As conceived by Ashby, Beer and others, this art is concerned with the management of variety. How do we face the challenge of managing all the variety that makes up ‘possible world futures’?
Selected publications:
Scott, B.: “The role of sociocybernetics in understanding world futures”. Kybernetes, 38, No. 6/2009, pp. 867-882.
Scott, B.: “Conversation, individuals and collectives: some key concepts in Gordon Pask’s interaction of actors and conversation theories”, Constructivist Foundations, 4, No.3/2009, pp.151-158.
Scott, B.: “Reflexivity revisited: the sociocybernetics of belief, meaning, truth and power”, Kybernetes, 35, No. 3-4/2006, pp. 308-316.
Scott, B.: “Cybernetics and the integration of knowledge”, invited chapter for Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems, 2002, UNESCO. http://www.eolss.net/.
The project takes the media-technology as an example to investigate the role of technology in situations of societal transition. That means highly complex historical situations in wich a society is partly changing its character so dramatically that observers later on will state that is no longer the same society that it used to be. Such structural changes of societies are very complex events, which are never attributed to single causes. Beside technology changes of many singular facts have preceded such structural caesuras as an effect to special circumstances, like poverty, lacks of democracy, requirements of the world market, economic growth or crisis, ownership structures etc.. In the project we are investigating the relevance of media technology for such societal breaks. Our hypothesis is that any structural change of society with caesuras of political and economical power are obliged to social structure of knowledge and the way in which knowledge is handled. Or, inversely expressed: caesuras of the mode of knowledge will force a more or less significant overthrow of economic and political dominance. Insofar all societies are "knowledge societies" in the sense that any society has to emerge forms and techniques to proceed important decisions regulating its knowledge: Which knowledge should be kept, which can be deleted. And in which form this could be done? In a sociological discourse context – and anymore from a sociocybernetics point of view – it is not need to emphasise that society's decisions on storing and communication of knowledge are not made by society's own will. It emerges based on media-technology which is available, the current societal structure, and a lot of other variables which have to be described. The interdependency of these factors expresses the concrete complexity of a knowledge society.
Selected publications:
Paetau, M.: Space and Social Order. The Challenge of Computer-Mediated Social Networks. Journal of Sociocybernetics, Vol. 4, Spring/Summer 2003, S. 23-36
Auf der Basis des von uns 2002 in Zusammenarbeit mit mehreren Forschungseinrichtungen der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft entwickelten Ansatzes einer integrativen Betrachtungsweise der ökologischen, sozialen, ökonomischen und institutionellen Dimension von "Sustainable Development" wurden verschiedene Forschungsprojekte durchgeführt. Aufgrund der hohen Komplexität und Dynamik nahezu aller Fragen im Zusammenhang mit der Analyse sowie der Entwicklung und Durchführung von Strategien nachhaltiger Entwicklung zeigte sich die Nützlichkeit soziokybernetischen Denkens in eindrucksvoller Weise. Der Schwerpunkt der Arbeiten des Zentrums für Soziokybernetische Studien Bonn liegt vor allem auf strategischen Fragen zur Umsetzung des Leitbildes "Sustainable Development", der Indikatorenbildung für konkrete Umsetzungen sowie der Durchführung empirischer Analysen.
Selected publications:
Kopfmüller, J.; Brandl, V.; Jörissen, J.; Paetau, M.; Banse, G.; Coenen, R.; Grunwald, A.: Nachhaltige Entwicklung integrativ betrachtet. Konstitutive Elemente, Regeln, Indikatoren. Berlin 2001: Sigma [cf. reviews]
Coenen, R.; Grunwald, A. (Hg.): Nachhaltigkeitsprobleme in Deutschland. Analysen und Lösungsstrategien. Berlin 2003: Sigma.
Brandl, Volker; Jörissen, Juliane; Kopfmüller, Jürgen & Paetau, Michael: Das integrative Konzept: Mindestbedingungen nachhaltiger Entwicklung. Grunwald, Armin; Coenen, Reinhard; Nitsch, Joachim; Sydow, Achim & Wiedemann, Peter (Ed.): Forschungswerkstatt Nachhaltigkeit. Wege zur Diagnose und Therapie von Nachhaltigkeitsdefiziten.. Berlin. Sigma, 2001, pp. 79-102
Brandl, V.; Grunwald, A.; Heincke M.; Jörissen J.; Rösch Chr.; Stelzer V.; Backhaus R.; Hennings W.; Keimel H.; Mertens J.; Meyer B. Chr.; Paetau M.; Rose H.: Ausgewählte Querschnittsthemen nachhaltiger Entwicklungedition. Coenen, R.; Grunwald, A. (Ed.): Nachhaltigkeitsprobleme in Deutschland. Analyse und Lösungsstrategien. (Global zukunftsfähige Entwicklung - Perspektiven für Deutschland, Bd. 5). Berlin. Edition Sigma, 2003, pp. 435-501
Brandl, V.; Grunwald, A.; Jörissen J.; Kopfmüller J.; Paetau M.: Das integrative Konzept nachhaltiger Entwicklung. Coenen, R.; Grunwald, A (Ed.): Nachhaltigkeitsprobleme in Deutschland. Analyse und Lösungsstrategien. (Global zukunftsfähige Entwicklung - Perspektiven für Deutschland, Bd. 5). Berlin. Edition Sigma, 2003, pp. 55-82
Fleischer, T.; Grunwald, A.; Dippoldsmann P.; Fugger W.-D.; Grutsch M.; Karger C.; Nitsch J.; Paetau M.; Poppenberg A.: Nachhaltigkeitspotenziale von Schlüsseltechnologien. Coenen, R.; Grunwald, A (Ed.): Nachhaltigkeitsprobleme in Deutschland. Analyse und Lösungsstrategien. (Global zukunftsfähige Entwicklung - Perspektiven für Deutschland, Bd. 5). Berlin. Edition Sigma, 2003, pp. 353-434