COGNITIVE MAPS (Societal)
Charles François (2004). COGNITIVE MAPS (Societal), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 476.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 476 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Human sciences |
When an important number of individuals share quite similar cognitive maps, such a consensus leads to the shaping of kinds of societal cognitive maps that, in A. LASZLO's words “… serve as vehicles for societies to probe environments quickly and effectively”, giving them “the means … to keep pace with accelerating rates of change”.
However, when these societal maps are not anymore “in sync” with socio-cultural dynamics… they tend to perpetuate singular responses that no longer fit with the realities of a changed and changing environment“ (1993, p.318).
Such situations lead to revolutionary upheavels and,or to individual psycho-pathologies, which can readily be observed in our present world reality.