STRUCTURE and PROCESS
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3232 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Methodology or model |
Structure and process (and also function) are intimately related. E. JANTSCH writes: “In a nonequilibrium world of self-realizing, self-balancing systems, process and structure become complementary aspects of the same overall order of process, or evolution. As interacting process define temporary structures — comparable to standing-wave patterns in physics — so structures define new processes, which in turn give rise to new temporary structures. Where process carries the momentum of energy unfoldment, structure permits the focusing and acting out of energy” (1976, p.39).
See for ex.: “Soliton”.
Generally, evolution seems to be a result of dissipative structuration in far-from-equilibrium systems, which allows for upgrading of organization through an increased energy consumption and entropy production.