WORKING GROUP ON SOCIOCYBERNETICS AND SOCIAL SYSTEMS (WG01)
OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (ISA)
1) INTRODUCTION:
The Working Group on Sociocybernetics and Social Systems (WG01 for short)
is a subgroup of the International Sociological Association (ISA). Its main
objective is to promote the development of (socio)cybernetic theory and
research within the social sciences. Sociocybernetics is broadly defined
here as including first- and second-order cybernetics, general systems
theory, and various combinations and variations of these that can be
subsumed under the term "the emerging sciences of complexity", to the
extent these can be applied to the subject matter of the social sciences.
Members should preferably be actively engaged in empirical or theoretical
research within this broadly defined area, but at least be seriously
interested. WG01 regularly organizes conferences, sometimes independently,
sometimes as Sociocybernetics Sections of more widely based conferences.
In August 1996, for example, a Sociocybernetics Section was organized as
part of the 10th International Congress of Cybernetics and Systems in
Bucharest. While WG01 obviously operates partly within the cybernetic and
general systems community, it is also active within the context of the
ISA, by organizing a large number of sessions at its World Congresses of
Sociology, the next one to be held in Montreal, July 26-August 1, 1998.
2) CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP:
Members are expected to participate in at least some of these conferences
by delivering a paper, whether theoretical, empirical, or (preferably) a
combination of both. While we certainly welcome innovative theoretical
papers, including "theory transfers" of cybernetic theory from other
disciplines to the field of the social sciences, there has been a relative
scarcity of empirical studies in the past - hence our preference for
theory-driven empirical studies. Also, members are expected to regularly
contribute to our Newsletters, published at least twice a year.
More detailed information is available at our Moscow "website":
http://www.kiarchive.ru:8098/pub/misc/science/sociocybernetics/WG01
It can also be reached through the ISA website in Madrid:
http://www.ucm.es/OTROS/isa/WG01
The Moscow website contains, amongst others, our statutes and our
Newsletters, as well as the abstracts of our recent conference in
Bucharest; it will soon also have the Calls for Papers for the different
sessions we will organize at the abovementioned 14th World Congress of
Sociology in Montreal.
3) MEMBERSHIP FEES:
Membership of WG01 itself is free of charge, although WG01 members are
formally expected to be individual members of the parent organization ISA.
By becoming an individual ISA member, you will not only show solidarity,
help our group to grow, and further the long overdue dissemination of
the sociocybernetic approach in the international social science world,
but you will also derive several personal benefits from membership, which
will cost you only $255 (resp. $105 or $25 depending on your country)
per FOUR years:
- you receive a regular ISA Bulletin, with news from the different
Research Committees and other ISA groups;
- you can subscribe for only $80 each (sic!) to a quarterly ISA
journal, "Current Sociology", and have a free subscription to another
one, "International Sociology";
- you can also become a member of some 60 Research Committees and
Working Groups at little or no cost and receive their Newsletters;
- perhaps most importantly: you will obtain a $100 reduction on the
congress registration fee for the 14th World Congress of Sociology in
Montreal, Canada; this already pays for half your contribution, while
you will be a member until the next century!
WG01 used to be a Thematic Group (TG02), but was recognized in Novewmber
1996 as an ISA Working Group. This implies a higher status, with more
prerogatives: we can then organize more sessions at World Congresses, can
have a delegate in the ISA Research Council, and are eligible for
Newsletter subsidies. Moreover, we strive to be recognized as a Research
Committee just before the next World Congress, which will allow us to
become even more active. However, all this depends to a large extent on
the number of members we have, and the ISA counts only those WG01 members
who have also signed up as individual ISA members.
Hence our request, if you are interested in WG01 membership, to show
solidarity with our group by signing up for the ISA. ISA membership
registration forms will be airmailed to you upon request to the secretary:
- snailmail to: Dr Felix Geyer, SISWO, Plantage Muidergracht 4, 1018 TV
Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
- email to: geyer@siswo.uva.nl
If ISA membership is financially impossible for you, exceptions of this
formal obligation can be made upon motivated request.
4) HOW TO REGISTER:
1) For WG01:
Our only requirement for otherwise free WG01 membership is that you fill
out and return the membership form and questionnaire; it will be sent to
you separately, unless you have downloaded it already from our Moscow
website. Our board wants to be informed about the activities, attitudes,
publications, organizational experience, etc. of our members. Hence we ask
you to fill out especially the questionnaire seriously, inserting parts of
your CV whenever this is relevant in answering the questions. Upon receipt
of a duly filled out membership form and questionnaire, you will be
registered as a member, and will receive our Newsletters and other
communications.
2) For the ISA:
Please let me know whether you are prepared to become an individual ISA
members, at $255 per four years, $105 or @ 25 per four years for members
of some non-convertible currency countries; students pay respectively $120,
$50 or @15, while there is a life membership at $250 for persons over 60
years of age; if not, please send a motivated request for an exemption of
this obligation.
Felix Geyer
Secretary, WG01, ISA
END OF FILE
Felix Geyer
Mail: SISWO, Plantage Muidergracht 4, 1018 TV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Phone: 31 20 527 0652, Fax: 31 20 622 9430, Email: geyer@siswo.uva.nl
URL: http://www.siswo.uva.nl/nieuwsbr/cyber/cyber.html (for Newsletter 5)