BIFURCATIONS (Social)
Charles François (2004). BIFURCATIONS (Social), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 284.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 284 ▶ |
| Object type | Human sciences |
E. LASZLO has proposed the following applications of the bifurcations model to societies. He makes a distinction among:
- T bifurcations “due to the destabilizing effects of technological innovations”;
- C bifurcations “due to instabilities introduced by conflicts and conquests”;
- E bifurcations “triggered by the internal collapse of the dominant institutions owing to mushrooming economic and social crises” (1987, p. 150).
LASZLO gives interesting examples of all of these bifurcation types, showing that the model is much more than a metaphor, or even an analogy, in social sciences.