Understanding the history and theory of both democracy and sociocracy provides a deeper understanding of the principles and practices of what a sociocracy or sociocratic democracy might be, and why. Knowing the intention and development of an idea supports the meaningful application of its principles and practices in everyday life.
The American Society for Cybernetics is an interdisciplinary association whose members are interested in the study and application of first and second order cybernetics and general systems thinking. ASC holds annual conferences in changing locations.
The History page is an interesting history of cybernetics in America.
“The science and art of understanding”—Humberto Maturana
“Interfaces hard competence with the hard problems of the soft sciences”—Heinz von Foerster
Let’s start with “What is Sociocracy?”
A quick answer is that sociocracy is both: A social ideal that values equality and the rights of people to determine the conditions under which they live and work, and
An effective method of organizing associations, businesses, and governments, large and small. The history of group decision making is of course as old as life itself, and humans have been doing it for millenia. There is much to be… Read More . . . “What Is Sociocracy and Why Does Democracy Need it?”
The principles and methods of sociocracy are often presented as “empty” meaning they can be used by any kind of organization to accomplish any aim. Values and purpose have no place in scientific method the argument goes. Sociocracy is based on studies of how things work in nature (cybernetics) and how people function in groups (sociology). It is free of ideology—any religious, economic, or political world view. No hidden agendas. No value system.
Equivalence and self-determination are… Read More . . . “Values and Purpose”
A Sociocracy for Business
It was a graduate of the Boekes’ school, Dutch electrical engineer Gerard Endenburg, who developed a method for implementing sociocracy in a competitive, results-oriented corporation. After completing his military service, he worked at Philips where he invented the small speakers still used in mobile devices. In 1968, he became the managing director of this family’s electrical engineering company, Endenburg Electric.
As an engineer, Gerard Endenburg found it frustrating that he could… Read More . . . “Gerard Endenburg: The Sociocratic Circle-Organization Method”
Residential communities customarily do not have board of directors members from outside the organization. Corporations normally do, but they may not be chosen by their ability to balance expertise. Non-profit organizationsThe Delibrative Democracy Consortium (DDC)u is an alliance o... More and independent schools often choose board members based on their ability to raise money or influence government or foundation decision-makers.
Balanced Expertise
Balanced expertise on the board of directors steers the organization from multiple perspectives.… Read More . . . “Outside Experts on the Board of Directors”
We need to remind ourselves that meetings are not the work. Much work is done in meetings and they can be exhausting, but the focus of a meeting is action. Determining effective actions. Defining desired actions. Evaluating failed actions. Or bemoaning lack of action.
Possible Sources of Confusion
In several contexts lately it has become clear that many of us have drifted into confusing meetings with the work, and even as the substance of organizational… Read More . . . “Meetings Are Not the Work”
Please Join the eMail Discussion Group
The sociocracy email discussion list was started in 2002. The list language is English, but members speak many languages if you have translation questions. We discuss anything related to sociocracy, democracy, and collaborative governance.
This site is a resource on sociocracy and democracy and the ways they support each other. It examines the principles and practices and the ways in which together they could better achieve their objectives. How would things get done in a sociocratic democracy?
The American Society for Cybernetics is an interdisciplinary association whose members are interested in the study and application of first and second order cybernetics and general systems thinking. ASC holds annual conferences in changing locations.
The History page is an interesting history of cybernetics in America.
“The science and art of understanding”—Humberto Maturana
“Interfaces hard competence with the hard problems of the soft sciences”—Heinz von Foerster
