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A Sociocybernetics Model for Social- Economic System Architecture

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A Sociocybernetics Model for Social- Economic System Architecture Systems Research and Behavioral Science Syst. Res. 29, 263–273 (2012) Published online 2 December 2011 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/sres.1134 ■ Research Paper Coping with System Sustainability: A Sociocybernetics Model for Social- Economic System Architecture Guohua Bai* and Lawrence Henesey School of Computing, Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden This paper proposes an epistemological model based on cybernetic principles and activity theory to interpret two levels of problems that are intertwined in our social-economic sys- tem, namely the liveability and sustainability problems. In the first part of the paper, important principles and concepts from related fields of cybernetics and activity theory are introduced for later construction of a model. In the second part, a model is constructed on the basis of the introduced concepts. To validate the proposed model, the current economic crisis is studied in the third part. An important contribution of the proposed model is a theoretical understanding of the two levels problems and how to construct macro social-economic policies to avoid similar crisis in the future. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Keywords feedback; social activities; liveability; sustainability; autopoiesis INTRODUCTION or set of individuals (de Chazal, 2010). The second order problem about fundamental structure and The global economic crisis has led to a need for social subsystems relationships will be the focus solutions, such as a systems approach and deeper of this paper. The problems of structure and rela- analysis of what could be performed to avoid tionship of social subsystems will be defined in such a future global crisis. Discussions in many this paper as the sustainability level problem. forums and mass media have mostly focused on We propose the application of the systems the first order casual effects such as bank loan sys- approach to our world social-economic system tems, bonus problems and credit systems. This is can yield benefits. Cybernetics as one of the what referred to as a ‘liveability level problem’, important parts of system paradigm offers a which is defined as related to the contentment comprehensive understanding to current socio- with life in particular location of an individual logical challenges and problems. Churchman and Ackoff (1950) proposed the essential under- standing of the cybernetics in social science and * Correspondence to: Guohua Bai, School of Computing, Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden. psychology and warned of the risk of the two E-mail: [email protected] becoming separated: Received 23 December 2009 Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Accepted 21 September 2011 RESEARCH PAPER Syst. Res. The psychologist and social scientist are aware actual output from the goal/status are identified of the complexities of phenomena in their own or measured, that is, it works against a deviation. field and may look upon the metaphors and All tracking systems, speed control systems, such analogies of the cyberneticians with scep- as a thermostat, are all based on the negative feed- ticism. The danger is that eventually some back. Classical economists such as Adam Smith cybernetician goes astray and makes propo- (1776) claimed that the ‘free market’ wouldtendto- sals which to the psychologist and social scien- wards economic equilibrium through the price tist are completely outrageous. The end point mechanism, in which demand and supply are nega- of the process may come when each field tive forces against each other to an equilibrium returns to its own work and ignores the poten- price. This view now is questioned from current tial contribution of other disciplines. The real practices such as problem of unemployment, bank danger is the complete loss of integration, credit system, bonus class and monopoly market. which at the present time, seems essential in Positive feedback, however, amplifies a devi- the study of purposive behaviour. (p.33) ation, so the end result of a positive feedback is often ‘explosive’ or ‘blocked’. Thus, this type of To be aware of the risk as warned by Churchman, feedback works normally as a temporary control this paper proposes an epistemological model by in some dynamic systems, such as nuclear fission integrating the two related fields of cybernetics based explosives, world population system, stock and social psychological studies. The model can co- markets, bank run and bankruptcy, economic herently integrate the liveability and sustainability recessions or expansions. of human activity systems, and provide a systemic The above two kinds of feedbacks (Figure 1) re- interpretation to the current economic crisis and quire that the output of the system must be fre- faced problems quently measured against a predefined status in order to decide the next input. Feed-forward, how- ever, is different from the above two kinds of feed- CYBERNETIC PRINCIPLES OF FEEDBACK backs because it works only on its own predefined AND PURPOSIVE BEHAVIOURS way without responding to how the output reacts. Two prerequisites are needed for a reliable Cybernetics has been traditionally applied in feed-forward: the external environment must re- areas of engineering control. In recent years, main predicable, and the effect of the output of the Research Committee 51 on Sociocybernetics the system should be known. Apparently, the (2011) within the International Sociological Asso- two prerequisites can hardly be met in real world ciation has made great efforts in applying some of situation, especially for a socio-economic system. the high level principles of Cybernetics in study- Therefore, feed-forward is normally used as a ing various social and cognitive problems. For ex- complementary to feedback. ample, feedback and feed-forward are important Another important principle of cybernetics is embodiments of purposeful behaviour in cyber- goal seeking. It is embedded in all the above three netic systems. In control theory, there are three kinds of controls and is an important purposive fundamental different types of control mecha- behaviour, which is defined by Churchman and nisms, namely, negative feedback, positive feed- Ackoff (1950) as an intensive function of a system. back, and feed-forward (Skyttner, 2000). A system has an intensive function if it consists of Negative feedback is to minimize a deviation be- objects that accomplish their goals by changing tween actual output of the system from the prede- their behaviour according to changes in the envir- fined goal(s). It is the most common type of onment. This accomplishment requires that the control in a system for maintaining an equilib- system can measure the changes in the environ- rium—a status of a system in which competing ment and compare the changes with its goal(s). forces are balanced. Negative feedback works only In many social studies, however, this requirement when there exists a goal/status (such as equilib- is either impossible, or undesirable. Therefore, the rium) for the system, and the deviations of the intensive function is primarily studied by the so Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Syst. Res. 29, 263–273 (2012) DOI: 10.1002/sres 264 Guohua Bai and Lawrence Henesey Syst. Res. RESEARCH PAPER Figure 1 Negative feedback and positive feedback called first order cyberneticians. The second order virtue of being alive. It is also the most basic unit cybernetics or sociocybernetics is more interested for human or collective performing any specific in studying higher level purposeful behaviour, function or obligation. No one can survive with- namely purpose. A system has a purpose if it out participating in various social activities. Ac- accomplishes its objectives by exhibiting different tivity is ‘the non-additive, molar unit of life’ types of behaviour, even though the environment (Leontèv, 1981). remains constant or unknown. All human-involved An important departure point of activity the- systems are purposeful systems, especially socio- ory from many other sociological studies is that economic systems. activity theory regards social properties as emer- gent properties instead as properties deducted from or a sum of an individual’s properties. In a THE ACTIVITY THEORY certain sense, many other sociological studies take the individual human being as the onto- Activity theory is a philosophical and cross- logically given starting point from which ev- disciplinary framework for studying various erything else can be deducted (Smith, 1776). forms of human behaviours and social practices. Consequently, socialization, norms, values and It uses the category ‘activity’ as ‘a system of its culture are popular means for explaining why own structure’ or the minimal unit (Leontèv, individuals unite into something called society 1981) to approach the relationship of subjective (Qvortrup, 1996). Activity theory, however, takes minds with the social context. Some important the activity interactions between people and their concepts and models of the activity theory from social cultures, norms, values to be then identi- the work of (Davydov et al., 1982), (Vygotsky, fied as a basic unit of a social system. Activity is 1978), (Leontèv, 1981), and (Engeström, 1987) an emergent property and synergy of ‘collective are introduced in the following as building com- intentionality’. This collective intentionality is ponents for the sociocybernetics model in the not the sum of singular intentionality but a new next section of the paper. emergent property of collectives (Searle, 1995). In modelling an activity, a triangle model is proposed by Leontèv (1981) to include three Activity—The Most Basic Unit of Social System fundamental elements and relationships in an activity (Figure 2). In this model, an activity is An activity is a basic process that a human being defined as the ‘middle link’ in a three-part or a collective carries out or participates in by scheme in which a subject interacts with an object Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Syst. Res. 29, 263–273 (2012) DOI: 10.1002/sres Coping with System Sustainability 265 RESEARCH PAPER Syst. Res. converted into objective results and products (Vygotsky, 1978; Leontèv, 1981; Davydov et al., 1982).
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