SOCIAL CYBERNETICS
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3071 ▶ |
| Object type | Human sciences, Methodology or model |
Under these terms the Brazilian sociologist V.De GREGORY, University of Sao Paulo, proposed a cybernetic view of human social systems .
According to him, any society includes three typical groups in interaction :
- the “official group”, a small minority that controls the social levels and generally manages society as a whole
- the “opposition group”, also a small minority that promotes a deeply different view of what social organization should be
- the “silent majority” that gathers most of the people, observes a more or less passive attitude and obeyes the rules defined by the “official group”, at least as long as the generalsituation remains acceptable for them
In case of serious or deep trouble, the “silent majority” may switch their adhesion from the “official group” to the “opposition group”. Socio-political disorder thus activates a feedback that changes the equilibrium of the society.
In fact, this theory would possibly be based on the catastrophe model of R. THOM.
See also
Backside balance, Criticality, Social pathologies, Stress, Trigger effect