64 (Melucci 1989, 11-12)

---

(Melucci 1989, 11-12)

In complex societies, the power of organizations to construct social codes is considerable but not overwhelming. The definition of the self and the biological and motivational structures of human action become targets for intervention. The generation of meaning is subject to systemic regulation and control. At the same time, individuals (potentially) enhance their control over the conditions and orientations of their action. As organized systems increasingly intervene in the perception of representation of action, there is a corresponding growth in the individual and social capacity for self-reflection, the production of information and the development of communication. Complex systems are marked by a deep ambiguity. They develop networks of high density information, the participants of which require a measure of autonomy: without developed capacities for formal learning and action, the individuals and groups could not function as dependable, self-regulating components of the system. At the same time, however, the high degree of differentiation which results stimulates a need for greater systemic integration and intensified control, which shifts its focus from content to codes, from patterns of conduct to the pre-conditions of action. [Melucci, Alberto. 1989. Nomads of the Present. London: Hutchinson Radius.]