Force fields and emergent phenomena in sociotechnical macrosystems: Theories and models

It is proposed that further qualitative progress in the computer simulation modeling of complex societal systems is dependent on incorporation of field-theoretic constructs embodying truly behavioral and social forces. A number of separate developments are reviewed in the context of the revitalization of field theory in social science. These are: field theory in sociotechnical systems theory, hierarchy theory, critical phenomena, and catastrophe theory. It is argued that the sociotechnical macrosystem can best be viewed as a field of interacting forces which manifests certain unique phenomena. The phenomena emphasized are: slow, continuous change followed by sudden, discontinuous or catastrophic jumps; incipient changes in the field; hierarchical restructuring; emergence of new properties at successive hierarchical levels; and turbulence of the environmental field. Examples of these phenomena, taken from the dynamics and evolution of societies, are given. Two important contemporary advances in the computer simulation modeling of societies, the Systems Dynamics National Model of the United States socioeconomic system and Mankind at the Turning Point, are discussed with regard both to reflecting field-theoretic interpretations of the dynamics of the macrosystem and to the nontrivial incorporation of behavioral and social factors. Both modeling approaches are found wanting. It is argued that these models therefore lack fidelity, the faithful capturing of real world phenomena.