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03. Why Mental Ill-health is Increasing (Part 2)

Why Mental Ill-health is Increasing – Part 2

Economic and social change and the reasons for it.

When we speak of economic growth, we normally refer to Gross Domestic Product or GDP. That is, the total value of goods produced and services traded in a country in a year. The UK Government website states that “Rising GDP means the economy is growing, and the resources available to people in the country – goods and services, wages and profits – are increasing.” Emphasis is often placed on the risks of falling income, lower consumption, and job cuts if GDP falls. However, there is little talk of the relationship between GDP and profit.

Capital is necessary for the establishment and provision of large-scale communal enterprises. The vast majority of us own insufficient capital to enable us to establish such enterprises independently. So, we must pool our capital to make large-scale services possible. Whether this pooling of capital is via private enterprise or via government is a matter of political debate. There are arguments for and against each. However, the reality in the West is that private enterprise plays a very large part.

Capital investment by private enterprise is itself a form of service. In return, investors expect payment, i.e., a profit. If GDP is rising, then this is an indicator that investors can, on average at least, make a profit on their investment. If it is falling, then this is an indicator that on average they can expect to make a loss. If the latter is the case, then they will be reticent to invest in a nation, and thus, a vicious circle leading to a depression can ensue.

However, entrepreneurs supported by private investors can be ingenious in their pursuit of profit. It is this, rather than GDP per se, that is steadily changing the nature of our economies, and thus, our societies. It could be said that GDP, in part at least, reflects this ingenuity. However, the changes wrought do not necessarily benefit the general population, and there is strong evidence that they are contributing to the rise in mental ill-health. These changes and their impact on society are described below.

We produce and consume three things:

  • material goods such as cars, food, housing, etc.;
  • services such as healthcare, education, plumbing work, electrical work, gardening, entertainment, accountancy, legal services, and so on; and finally,
  • goods and services hired in return for rent, such as apartments, vehicles, software, etc. I will refer to this as “hybrid consumption”.

Economies pass through stages dictated by the ability of investors to make a profit.

Firstly, material goods are produced and consumed. Investors provide the necessary capital to establish factories, finance initial operating costs, etc. In return they expect a profit in the form of dividend payments, a premium on the sale of their shareholding, etc. In essence, in return for providing the resources to organise production, they are taking a share of the value traded between the actual producers and consumers. To maintain this return, in the face of competition, production efficiencies are sought. Typically, this means driving down labour costs via offshoring, automation, the outsourcing of administrative tasks to customers via the internet, and putting obstacles in the way of post-sales customer contact. Growth in turnover is also sought via advertising and expansion to overseas markets. It can also be obtained in less ethical ways, for example by the encouragement of debt, the encouragement of unnecessary social competition, advertisements that create unnecessary wants, the excessive use of sugar in foods, and so on.

Nevertheless, there is an upper threshold to the quantity of material goods that we can consume. So, in pursuit of profit, investors move on to organizing the consumption of services and hybrid consumption.

In the case of hybrid consumption, material goods are offered for rent. The organisation of hybrid consumption has been triggered by improved long-distance communication over the internet. Originally, private individuals and small local enterprises offered hybrid services. However, investors have now begun establishing large organisations to offer them. They are, for example, moving into the private rental market, and even building apartments for rent rather than sale. Unless there is government regulation, the logical conclusion of this ongoing economic change is that individuals will ultimately rent everything and own nothing. Competitive pressures will, of course, still demand increasing efficiency, the driving down of labour costs, and automation.

In the case of service consumption, our individual physical and mental skills are offered to others in return for payment, e.g., gardening, plumbing, cooking, legal knowledge, accountancy, artistic skills and so on. However, investors are also moving into this area and establishing organisations to oversee the provision of these services, e.g., Uber, Deliveroo, and so on. Those who originally provided an interpersonal service are either becoming contract staff or are being replaced. Again, the logical conclusion is that all services will be provided by large organisations, all service providers will be employed by them, and labour costs will be driven down. New services will also need to be found and marketed. What will they be?

So, unless these economic changes are regulated by government, then, taken to their logical conclusion, all who do not own capital will :

  • own nothing and rent everything;
  • do nothing for themselves but employ large organisations to do everything for them;
  • be self-employed and working for the same large organisations;
  • have no employment rights;
  • earn a minimum wage; and
  • be unable to afford the goods and services they need without running up large debts.

Does this sound familiar? Clearly, this situation is free market driven, unsustainable in the longer term, and it is for governments to steer society towards a more equitable and sustainable model.

In the meantime, a growing number of people are finding themselves impacted by these changes. The resulting insecurity, uncertainty, and frustration are leading to the growing incidence of mental ill-health.

Toxic Workplace Cultures

This is compounded by the toxic culture to be found in many large organisations.

Claire Smith, Editor of New Civil Engineer magazine stated in August 2023, that “…people working in the construction sector are three times more likely to commit suicide than those in the general population…” and  “…Those working in the trades are eight times more likely to take their own lives.” In the same magazine, the trade union Unite’s national officer for construction, Jason Poulter, estimates that “over 500 construction workers died as a result of suicide last year [2022] and rates are rising.” He goes on to say that “most workers feel unable to raise mental health concerns because of the toxic macho culture that pervades our industry. This is entwined with a fear that if you admit to a problem, you are likely to be given your cards [i.e., fired] and removed from site especially if you are officially self-employed”. Mr Poulter and Unite are, of course, lobbying for mandatory regular mental health work-related risk assessments, cultural change in the industry, and the powers and resources for government agencies to investigate all work related suicides.

I can confirm from personal experience, that toxic macho cultures do indeed exist in industry, and have considerable insight into how and why they form. Such cultures have always existed but for them to contribute to the growth in mental ill-health, they also need to be impacting on more employees or to be worsening. Research by Culture Shift, shows that 40% of interviewees from a sample of 1000, have witnessed problematic behaviour, such as bullying, harassment or discrimination at work, growing substantially from the 22% that their 2020 survey uncovered.

Unfortunately, there are no statistics providing longer-term evidence of an increase. However, as services are increasingly centralized and brought under the control of large organisations that experience the pressures of competition and profitability, the number of people exposed to such cultures, and thus, their impact on mental health is likely to grow.

References

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/gross-domestic-product-gdp-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters

Editor’s Comment | We can do so much better on health and wellbeing
Construction needs to get serious about suicides and giving the HSE more power is key
Protecting your people: the importance of adopting a people-centric workplace culture
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02. Why Mental Ill Health is Increasing (Part 1)

Why Mental Ill-health is Increasing – Part 1

The Problem

From the results of a 2014 survey (McManus et al. 2016), the Mental Health charity MIND says that 1 in 6 people in England report experiencing a common mental health problem in any given week. These problems comprise:

  • mixed anxiety and depression, 8 in 100 people;
  • generalised anxiety disorder, 6 in 100 people;
  • post-traumatic stress disorder, 4 in 100 people; and
  • depression, 3 in 100 people.

However, these statistics include only those aged over 16, living in private housing, and living  in England.

Suicidal thoughts and self-harm are not mental health diagnoses. But they are related to mental health. Over the course of someone’s lifetime (McManus et al. 2016):

  • 1 in 5 people have suicidal thoughts,
  • 1 in 14 people self-harm, and
  • 1 in 15 people attempt suicide.

Women are more likely to have suicidal thoughts and make suicide attempts than men (McManus et al. 2016). But men are 3 times more likely to take their own life than women (Samaritans, 2019).

Unfortunately, these numbers have been increasing. MIND also report the following.

  • The number of people with common mental health problems went up by 20% between 1993 and 2014, in both men and women (McManus et al. 2016).
  • People reporting self-harm went up by 62% between the years 2000 and 2014 (McManus et al. 2016).
  • People reporting having had suicidal thoughts within the past year went up by 30% between the years 2000 and 2014 (McManus et al. 2016).

There is also evidence that some minority groups are more likely to suffer mental ill-health problems than others. For example:

  • LGBTQIA+ people are between 2 and 3 times more likely than heterosexual people to report having a mental health problem in England (Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2015).
  • 23% of Black or Black British people will experience a common mental health problem in any given week. This compares to 17% of White British people (McManus et al. 2016).
  • 26% of young women aged between 16 and 24 years old report having a common mental health problem in any given week. This compares to 17% of adults. And this number has been going up (McManus et al. 2016).
  • Around 40% of people in England who have overlapping problems including homelessness, substance misuse and contact with the criminal justice system in any given year also have a mental health problem. This is sometimes called facing ‘multiple disadvantage’. (Lankelly Chase Foundation, 2015). According to the BBC report at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49317060, police in the UK have been dealing with ever more mental health incidents.

The MIND report can be found at https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/statistics-and-facts-about-mental-health/how-common-are-mental-health-problems/.

This rise in mental ill-health seems to be occurring particularly among the young. US statistics on hospital emergency department visits at https://www.aau.edu/research-scholarship/featured-research-topics/teens-young-adults-drive-increase-mental-health-er show a clear link between age group and a rise in the proportion of discharges with a mental ill-health diagnosis. The rise has been most severe among those aged 10 to 44 and least severe among those under 10 or over 64.

The Causes

The question is, of course, “what is causing this rise?”. Clearly, the disruption of COVID has had a recent impact. However, the rise was apparent long before 2020. Economic shocks, such as the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008, have also played a part. However, I would argue that the main factors are functional differentiation, progressive changes in our economy and toxic workplace cultures. I will discuss the former in this part and the latter two in the next article.

Functional Differentiation

Functional differentiation is a steady and persistent growth in specialisation, and thus, in the complexity of society. Many economic shocks can be attributed to this trend.

Complexity is itself a cause of stress and anxiety as we struggle to understand the society that we live in. However, functional differentiation leads to an increasing number of interactions between individuals and organisations. It has also led to globalisation and an increasing number of interactions between national cultures. Finally, it leads to increasing migration and interactions between the minority and majority cultures of a nation.

These increasing interactions have resulted in an increased risk of conflicting values or beliefs. If the parties to an interaction select the option of holding firm to their conflicting values or beliefs, then there is a risk of negative competition and conflict, both of which are major causes of anxiety and depression. Alternatively, for the two parties to interact effectively, one or the other must wear a mask, i.e., hide their true values and beliefs and create an appearance of holding the same ones as the other. As Karl Rogers has pointed out, the effort of maintaining such a mask can lead to mental ill-health. So, whichever alternative the parties choose, there will be an impact on the mental health of at least one of them.

The fact that minorities are at greater risk of mental ill-health supports this argument. In their interactions with the majority culture, there is a greater risk of conflicting values or beliefs, and thus, they either face the risk of social conflict or must wear a mask. The recent rise in minority rights groups has meant less pressure for minorities to do the latter. However, it has transferred the pressure to wear a mask to members of the majority. Where neither party is willing to hide their true values and beliefs, there is also a greater risk of conflict.

The rise in mental ill-health amongst the young is often attributed to smartphones and social media. However, these technologies are a product of functional differentiation, as well as probably also contributing to it. Smartphones and social media increase the number of interpersonal interactions, and thus, the potential for conflicting values or beliefs.

In summary therefore, functional differentiation leads to increasing social complexity and an increasing number and diversity of social interactions. The increasing number of social interactions leads to an increasing risk of conflicting values or beliefs. The increasing risk of conflicting values or beliefs, no matter how we deal with it, leads to an increasing risk of mental ill-health.

References

Journal of General Internal Medicine (2015), Sexual Minorities in England Have Poorer Health and Worse Health Care Experiences: A National Survey.

Lankelly Chase Foundation (2015) Hard Edges: Mapping severe and multiple disadvantage.

McManus S, Bebbington P, Jenkins R, Brugha T. (eds.) (2016). Mental health and wellbeing in England: Adult psychiatric morbidity survey 2014.

Samaritans (2019), Samaritans Suicide Statistics Report.

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14. Suggestions for the Analysis of Social Systems

Suggestions for the Analysis of Social Systems

Causal Diagrams

Social systems can be represented using causal diagrams. An example is given below. Most interactions are two-way. That is, satisfiers and contra-satisfiers are traded between the two interacting organisations or individuals. These satisfiers and contra-satisfiers can be:

  • absent;
  • latent, i.e., potential, promised, or threatened;
  • precarious, i.e., present now but not necessarily in the future; or
  • entrenched, i.e., present now and assured for the future.

In principle at least, the diagrams can then be translated into a series of causal equations that can be combined and manipulated according to the rules of logic.

Figure: A causal diagram showing a typical co-operative trading relationship between two organisations or individuals

Societal Laws

Each level of organisation in society has a discipline or field of study associated with it, and much work has already been done to identify laws and rules for the behaviour of those organisations. Although there is considerable overlap, each discipline tends to focus on a particular level or levels of organisation. For example:

  • international relations focus on nations within the global community;
  • political science focuses on sectors and the governance of nations;
  • management focuses on the interaction of individuals, teams and departments within organisations;
  • social psychology focuses on interactions between individuals; and so on.

Furthermore, economics studies the field of money and trade, and information theory the field of communication.

It is suggested, therefore, that these disciplines be compared for isomorphisms. That is, accepted rules or laws in each discipline that are like those in others, and which can be generalized to yield societal laws. It should be noted, however, that new properties emerge with increasing complexity. Thus, whilst a law applying at one level will probably also apply in the levels above, it will not necessarily apply in the levels below.

Money

Many interactions involve a flow in one direction of real satisfiers or contra-satisfiers, i.e., materials, energy, or information, and the flow of money in the other. Money is a virtual satisfier and allows more complex interactions than direct barter.

However, not all transactions involve the trade of real satisfiers or contra-satisfiers for money. The direct barter of satisfiers for satisfiers still exists, particularly at the level of interaction between individuals, and particularly when information is the satisfier. Thus, economics cannot fully explain society.

However, because the flow of money is in a reverse direction to the flow of materials, energy, and information, where there is an economic theory there may also be a theory of real satisfiers that can be generalized to situations in which barter still takes place. In other words, there may also be a more general theory of the trade of satisfiers which includes both financial transactions and barter.  “Willingness to pay” surveys are, for example, often used to place a monetary value on satisfiers.

Care needs to be taken though. Economic theories not only partially explain society, but are often also based on a particular historical context. Any more general theory would need to be disconnected from any such context. Thus, a way forward may be the research of generally accepted economic theories to see if they can be converted into more general ones that also apply to barter and are independent of context.

Practical Modelling

Despite simplification, the volume of information needed to predict society is too great for the human mind to process. It is necessary, therefore, to build a mathematical or computer model. An outline of how we might do so is given below:

  1. Identify the organisation of interest. That is, the organisation whose behaviour needs to be understood in order to predict or alter its future. Examples include humanity as a whole, a nation, or a business.
  2. Identify the highest-level components or holons of that organisation. For example, if the organisation of interest is a nation, these will be its sectors.
  3. Identify the external interactions taking place between the organisation of interest or its components and any external organisations.
  4. Initially, assume that all horizontal internal interactions between components are ones of co-operation, and that all vertical internal interactions are in accordance with the prevailing social contract.
  5. Initially, assume that all information held or transmitted is true.
  6. Run several instances of the model with other forms of interaction randomly distributed and in proportion to their real-world prevalence. They should be distributed across both internal and external interactions. Modifications include positive or negative competition horizontally, and the personal, species, or environmental contract vertically. They can also include stored or transmitted misinformation.
  7. Assess the outcomes and identify any patterns that may emerge.
  8. Identify critical components whose interactions must be of a particular type for stability of the whole. Also, identify any critical information which must be true for the same reason.
  9. For critical components, go into more detail, model components at the next level down and repeat the above process. For example, if a sector is critical, then consider its component organisations. Continue this process until it reaches individual roles, if necessary.
  10. Establish control measures to prevent critical roles from being occupied by inappropriate individuals, and any critical information from being falsified, for example, national leaders should not engage in personal contract relationships. However, to permit cultural evolution and avoid stagnation, non-critical roles should not be controlled in this way.
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13. Social Networks

Social Networks

Networks are a feature of living things and some of the artificial things that they create. Individual people, organisations, and the relationships between them form a network known as a “social network”. Unfortunately, however, this term is now popularly understood as referring to social media on the internet. The term also tends to imply interactions involving the exchange of information. Strictly however, a social network can be between not only individuals but also between organisations of any size. Furthermore, the relationships involve not only the exchange of information, but also the transfer of energy, materials, money or any other satisfier or contra-satisfier. This usually takes place in the form of a two-way trade.

It is worth mentioning at this point that not all social networks are desirable. They can, for example, be criminal or drugs networks. They can also comprise self-interested individuals or organisations with influence over politicians.

Historically, the factors that have governed whether there is a relationship between two people, or two organisations have been:

  • geographical, i.e., whether geographical proximity and other factors such as trade routes have enabled communication and the exchange of satisfiers or contra-satisfiers; and
  • whether the level of disagreement has permitted co-operation, has resulted in negative competition, or has resulted in an unwillingness to interact.

With the advent of the internet and globalization, geographical factors have become less of an obstacle.

The analysis of a social network is carried out using a diagram. Individuals or organisations are plotted as nodes, and the relationships between them are plotted as links. The latter are also sometimes referred to as edges. Software and statistical techniques are available to optimize such diagrams, but little is available to carry out further analysis and, for example, make predictions. For the present therefore, analysis is largely a process of visually inspecting the diagrams.

From them, it can be possible to identify the following.

Communities or clusters have a greater number of internal connections than external ones. People or organisations are attracted to one another if they can co-operate. In this way they form clusters. Examples are intra-organisational networks, that is, networks within an organisation. They can be formal or informal. Formal internal networks are often both functional and hierarchical because this aids our understanding of them. Informal networks are less so. From the diagrams it can be possible to identify both intra-organisational and inter-organisational informal networks  that might otherwise be invisible. Such informal networks are organisations in their own right, and can act as holons in a simpler model. Communities or clusters tend to have a relatively homogenous culture, i.e., the same shared values and beliefs. Internal interactions reinforce their paradigms and worldviews and can cause them to become entrenched. External contact with conflicting worldviews, especially those that pose a threat, can lead to further reinforcement.

Structural holes occur when there are relatively few connections between two communities or clusters. They can be caused by geography or other difficulties in communication. Also, they are often a result of two communities or clusters having too great a difference in their values or beliefs. However, if two clusters can interact because their differences are not too great, then both may benefit.

Marissa King, professor of organizational management at Yale University, describes, in her 2021 book “Social Chemistry”, three different ways in which people approach social networking. Although these ways are particular to social media on the internet, they are also of more general application. They are as follows.

Expansionists have large networks with many connections. In more general networks, the  node that they form is referred to as a hub. Managers and leaders form hubs in formal organisations. As is well known in the advertising industry, hubs are a useful tool for quickly disseminating information to a community. However, according to the anthropologist, Robin Dunbar, there is an upper limit of 150 on the number of social connections that an individual can maintain.

Brokers bring together people from different communities. They act as a bridge over structural holes and can act as intermediaries when there is disagreement. As mentioned in the previous article, if such disagreement is not too great, then the communities can achieve a consensus that may be of benefit to both. Thus, brokers can be creators of value.

Convenors build dense networks with many interconnections. For this to be possible common values and beliefs must be shared, and a convenor is instrumental in this. Shared values and beliefs enable greater co-operation. However, they also make a community more resistant to change, and so, structural holes are more likely to form around it.

Individuals or organisations who fulfil these roles can also be identified from a network diagram, as demonstrated below.

However, social network diagrams do not describe the nature of the information, energy or material that is being transferred from one node to the other. Nor do they describe the effect of any changes to these transfers on the recipient. To fully represent a network of interacting organisations it is therefore necessary to describe the links in more detail. A way of doing so is described in the articles that follow. The result is a causal network diagram.

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12. Understanding Social Complexity

Understanding Social Complexity

Holons and Nested Hierarchies

We understand the world in terms of holons and the relationships between them. A holon is any entity that can be recognised as a whole in itself. We recognise holons because they recur in different circumstances or environments, and so, we can draw a boundary around them that distinguishes them from their environment.

Holons exist in nested hierarchies. That is, every holon comprises several lesser holons and every holon is also part of a greater one. For example, particles are components of atoms, atoms components of molecules, molecules components of planets, and so on.

In the case of human society, the holons are individuals and organisations. Individuals are components of organisations, organisations are components of parent organisations, parent organisations are components of grandparent ones, and so on.

Figure – Family relationships between organisations in a hierarchy

As we progress downwards through this hierarchy of organisations, functional differentiation takes place. That is, the function or purpose of an organisation is broken down into the interacting component functions of child organisations. Alternatively, component functions can be carried out by other unrelated organisations through a process of trade.

Simplifying Social Complexity

In a stable society, functional differentiation naturally increases with time, and alongside it, social complexity. Up to a point, the efficiency with which any overall function is carried out also increases. However, there may be an optimum beyond which efficiency begins to decline.

If a system is complex and comprises too many components and relationships for the human mind to comprehend, then we attempt to simplify it. We do so by seeking fewer larger holons that bundle together components into recurring and recognisable patterns. Fortunately, society is structured in a way that makes it easy for us to find such holons. If we were, for example, to attempt to understand and predict the future of a nation by considering the relationships between individual citizens, then complexity would be so great that we would be unlikely to make progress. However, individual citizens form part of organisations such as sectors. If these sectors are taken as our holons and the relationships between them considered, then a far less complex model results.

In fact, this is what we do in practice. Furthermore, it is very likely that we structure society in this way to better enable us to understand it. For example, the field of international affairs uses nations as its holons, political science uses sectors, management theory organisations within parent organisations, and social psychology individuals. We do this intuitively, rather than as a consequence of any formal systems theory. However, the fact that social systems theory predicts what takes place in practice is strong support for the former’s validity.

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11. The Cause and Benefits of Social Complexity

The Cause and Benefits of Social Complexity

Frustration

In physics, the term “frustration” refers to an entity that is subject to conflicting forces and there is uncertainty about which option it will settle upon. Professor Giorgio Parisi has carried out Nobel Prize winning work on frustration in spin-glasses, i.e., materials in which the magnetic orientation of the components are random, can alter below a particular temperature, but are frozen above it. This results in an amorphous structure that is one example of a complex system. Professor Parisi’s work has shown that reliable predictions on the statistical properties of a complex system can be obtained by modelling it several times and comparing how the different models behave.

Further details can be found in the following article in The Conversation online magazine: https://theconversation.com/my-phd-supervisor-just-won-the-nobel-prize-in-physics-heres-how-his-research-on-complex-systems-changed-science-169297

Professor Parisi’s website is at http://chimera.roma1.infn.it/GIORGIO/index.html and many of his papers can be downloaded free of charge from Academia.

The concept of frustration can be applied to society. It occurs when we are faced with situations in which different cultures apply. Different values and beliefs, forming a part of those cultures, will dictate different behaviours. This leads to cultural or ethical dilemmas that we must manage. In such circumstances the behaviour of an individual or organisation is unpredictable. However, whatever choice we make propagates through society and this is the principal cause of social complexity.

If we were all to behave in the same manner according to the same values and beliefs then, like a crystalline material such as diamond, society would be simple and relatively predictable. However, differing values and beliefs mean that we do not, and so, society is more like an amorphous material such as glass. It is complex and unpredictable.

Individuals or organisations often agree with the values and beliefs that prevail in their environment, e.g., with those of the business in which they work or the nation in which they live or operate. If so, they will usually remain within that environment and support it. However, they also often disagree with the prevailing values and beliefs. For example, in a vertical interaction, the rights given up by an individual or organisation may be thought too great or too little. Thus, the culture of an individual may conflict with that of a business in which he or she works. Also, for example, the culture of a business organisation may conflict with that of a nation in which it operates. In these circumstances “frustration” exists and the individual and business must find ways of dealing with it. There are several ways of doing so, and this leads to the complexity and unpredictability of society.

The individual may, for example, attempt to leave the business or the business may attempt to move to a culturally more compatible nation. However, if they are unable to do so, then the following alternatives exist.

  • We have true values and beliefs that have become internalised over time. We are also capable of presenting apparent values and beliefs to those with whom we interact, i.e., we wear a mask. This is true not only of individuals but also of organisations of any size. Thus, we may wear a mask for one aspect of the dilemma but act in accordance with the other. For example, we may give an outward display of compliance but, if safe to do so, practice non-compliance. For example, when Stalin died many Russians put up blackout curtains but celebrated behind them.
  • Alternatively, we may rationalize in favour of the value and belief system in which we are obliged to operate, attempt to internalize those values and beliefs, and thus, remove the dilemma.
  • Alternatively again, we may attempt to alter the culture in which we are obliged to operate. For example, organisations that disagree with the values and beliefs of the nation in which they operate can propagandise in favour of their own values and beliefs, thus altering the nation’s culture over time and removing the dilemma.

It is worth noting that a dissenting organisation will, knowingly or not, attract members who agree with its values and beliefs, thereby reinforcing them.

Cultural Evolution

Frustration in society has an evolutionary basis, and it is highly unlikely that it will ever be totally eliminated. It serves an evolutionary function and so it may, in fact, be undesirable to do so. Utopias stagnate.

An important aspect of biological evolution is random mutation. This gives us a variable genome that causes individuals to differ. These differences, in combination with differences in our environment, cause our cultures, and hence our values and beliefs, to differ. As explained above, these differences in values cause social complexity, part of which comprises dissenting sub-cultures. These sub-cultures are random mutations of a social nature and form an important aspect of cultural evolution. However, just like random mutation in biological evolution, social mutations are most often harmful, often neutral, and only occasionally beneficial. They exist within a broader social environment and, if they are seen to be harmful, they will become extinct. If they are neutral they will probably persist and perhaps become beneficial if the environment changes. However, if they are seen to be successful in satisfying human needs, then, because culture is information, they will propagate, ultimately altering the parent culture. Thus, providing frustration exists, society evolves in a similar way to biological organisms. Just as isolation and random mutation account for the great biodiversity in the world, isolation and frustration account for its great cultural diversity.

Points to note, however, are:

  • Success and failure can be falsified.
  • Success for one organisation can be failure for another.
  • If new values are consistent with those we already hold they will propagate more readily (Bartlett). If they are inconsistent, they will propagate more slowly (Kuhn).

Frustration is inevitable therefore, and something that we must learn to live with if society is to progress. Idealists should note however, that an ideal global society is neither possible nor desirable. Pragmatists, on the other hand, should note that this is not an excuse for failing to strive for one. This is a difficult concept to come to terms with but nevertheless represents the reality of the human situation.

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Admin

New Forum

“Humanity is a mystery. It needs to be unravelled, and if you spend your life unravelling it, don’t say you’ve wasted your time.” Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Most of humanity’s problems, such as war, poverty, and climate change, are self-inflicted. Sustainable, long-term solutions can only be found by unravelling Dostoevsky’s mystery of humanity. But this can only be done through an honest, rational, objective, and scientific understanding of human nature.

For two years, I have been posting articles on this subject on my website, Quora, and LinkedIn and now have a significant following. Originally, I considered repeating the articles on Facebook. However, I have concluded that my website is not the best place for you to have your say, or for you to contribute to the discussion. So, I have decided to create an open Facebook forum where I will merely post links to new articles and join any discussion. You can find it at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/325990503088660/

You are free to post your own views, articles, criticisms, or whatever there, subject, of course, to Facebook’s rules.

Please join the debate.

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10. Culture and Interaction Style

Culture and Interaction Style

Culture

Culture is learned and comprises values, norms, beliefs, knowledge, and symbols. It is, therefore, information. A culture can be shared by the members of any organisation small or large. Culture, especially values, along with inherited predispositions affect a person’s behaviour, and thus, the “style” of interactions between and within organisations. The style of interaction also affects the culture of an organisation and there is, therefore, a degree of feedback between the two.

The social environment in which an organisation operates has a strong bearing on its culture. However, not all organisations operate within a single environment. Some, for example, operate globally. Furthermore, not all individuals or organisations concur with the culture that prevails in their environment. Leaders of an organisation also have a strong influence over its culture. These factors can result in conflicting values, the consequences of which will be discussed in a future article.

Interaction style

Organisations are predisposed to interact in one of three basic styles: co-operation, for example, helping one another over the finish line in a race; positive competition, for example, running as fast as we can to be first over the line; and negative competition, for example, kicking the legs out from one another on our way to it. This predisposition is based on past experience and  learning from others in the community but actual interaction style also depends on circumstances.. In the case of co-operation and negative competition, the two organisations interact directly with one another. Co-operation involves an equitable exchange of satisfiers; negative competition involves an exchange of contra-satisfiers. However, in the case of positive competition, the two organisations do not interact directly, but rather with a third party. This is usually a precursor to co-operation between the third party and the successful competitor.

In practice, the predispositions of organisations are often a mix of the three interaction styles, each predominating in different circumstances, as shown in the diagram below.

The style of interaction is usually, but not necessarily, defined by the attitudes of the component organisations or individuals directly involved in the interaction and te circumstances. However, more senior leaders can have an influence through their leadership style, the culture they promote within the organisation, and their distance from the interaction.

Interactions can be vertical, i.e., between individuals or organisations above and below one another in a hierarchy. They can also be horizontal, i.e., between individuals or organisations at similar levels, but on different branches, of a hierarchy. Thus, for example, the interaction between a manager and a junior member of staff is vertical, and the trade between nations horizontal.

Vertical Interaction Style

Vertical interaction is a special case of interaction in general. True leadership and followership are co-operative, but this form of interaction does not always exist between senior and junior individuals or the components of organisations. A leader must be accepted by followers to gain their willing support. If the leader is appointed by a bottom-up process, i.e., if followers agree their leader, then co-operation will normally ensue. However, if a leader is appointed by a top-down process, then co-operation is not inevitable, and positive or negative competition may occur. Examples of top-down appointments include not only appointments made by senior managers, but also business takeovers and the invasion of nations.

In positive competition, the two parties do not interact with one another but compete for satisfiers from a third party. An appointed leader and an unwilling follower may, for example, both compete for recognition by a more senior person.

In negative competition, contra-satisfiers are exchanged but the leader or parent organisation is normally in a more powerful position, and thus, able to coerce the follower with threats of contra-satisfiers. Fortunately, extreme examples of such behaviour are now largely illegal, but mild versions persist in many organisations.

The style of vertical co-operative interaction varies on a scale. At one end is the personal contract, i.e., trading of personal benefits, such as power, wealth, and influence for support. At the other end of the scale is Rousseau’s social contract, which states that followers are willing to give up some of their rights in the communal interest. However, the definition of communal interest can vary, and so the social contract can be defined in several ways. Thus, this definition should be revised as follows: people are willing to support a leader, and thus, give up certain rights if that leader acts in a way that delivers benefits to:

  • the individual supporter (personal contract);
  • the supporting team (team contract);
  • the sub-organisation (sub-organisational contract);
  • the organisation (organisational contract);
  • the super-organisation (super-organisational contract);
  • the nation (national contract);
  • humanity (species contract); or
  • the ecosystem (environmental contract).

The style of contract sought and offered will depend on the follower’s and leader’s attitudes. In general, the weight given to each type of contract, i.e., its relative influence on their interaction style, generally decreases from personal, to social, to species, to environmental. This decrease is consistent with the multilevel selection theory of evolution. We place greatest weight on immediate personal interest, but do not neglect our longer-term interests gained communally. The actual weights applied by an individual or organisation depend on their attitude. Generally, those with a right-wing attitude will place greater weight on the personal contract, and less weight on other contracts, than those with a left-wing attitude.

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09. Disagreement: A Goldilocks Zone Hypothesis

Disagreement: A Goldilocks Zone Hypothesis

The Goldilocks Zone Hypothesis of Disagreement

Disagreement between two parties is caused by conflicting values and beliefs. The extent of disagreement varies on a scale from all values and beliefs conflicting to none.

If there is no disagreement, then co-operation comes easily. Neither party’s values or beliefs are altered by the relationship, and their normal behaviour remains unchanged.  For this reason, stagnation also occurs.

If there is too much disagreement, then co-operation becomes impossible. This is because the adaptive effort required of an individual or organisation outweighs the benefits of co-operation. In such circumstances the two parties will not voluntarily interact. They may, however, engage in positive competition directed at a third party. If obliged to interact, then they will normally engage in negative competition, and this may ultimately lead to conflict.

However, between these two extremes lies a Goldilocks Zone. If there is “just enough” disagreement, then the two parties will either compromise or work out a consensus that enables them to cooperate, and progress will be made.

This principle applies to the internal relationships within an individual, external relationships between individuals, and relationships between organisations, including businesses and nations.

As individuals, we are content if there are no internal conflicts between our own beliefs or values and those that we must subscribe to. However, we do not develop, grow, or mature. If there are some manageable conflicts, then we can reconcile them and in so doing, we grow. However, if there are too many, then this causes distress, indecision and, in extreme cases, mental ill health. We can sometimes manage extreme internal conflicts by ignoring their existence, rationalising, etc., but we cannot escape them, and they can affect our decision-making and behaviour.

When two individuals interact, total agreement enables us to co-operate, and we are easy in one another’s company, but we do not grow from the relationship, and can become bored with it. Just a little disagreement, however, challenges our values and beliefs, causes us to review and perhaps revise them, and thus, we grow. If there is too much disagreement however, the effort of revising our mental schema becomes too great. Thus, we will often ignore or avoid one another. If obliged to interact, for example regarding property ownership, then we can become intractable and may engage in heated, or even violent argument. Academic and religious differences are examples of intractable beliefs that can lead to very heated disagreement.

When two organisations interact the same is true. Their values and beliefs are a part of their organisational culture. The equivalent of the individual’s mental schema is the organisation’s culture and institutions, which, while some modification is possible in the case of minor disagreements, can be immovable in the case of major ones.

There are two foundations for this hypothesis, the British psychologist, Frederik Bartlett’s (1886- 1969) theories of remembering, and evolutionary theory.

In his 1932 book, “Remembering”, Bartlett explained that we hold knowledge, which of course includes values and beliefs, in mental schemata. He also showed experimentally that we remember those things that are consistent with our existing schemata, and forget or modify those things that are not. This is because our memory comprises biological connections between brain cells and, any change requires the physical removal and reconstruction of those connections. Thus, revising our values and beliefs requires significant biological effort.

Regarding evolutionary theory, in biological evolution, genes can mutate at random, due for example to copying errors when cells split, virus infections, or the effect of radiation. If there is no mutation, then any asexual offspring will simply be clones of the parent. If there is a little mutation, then this can be harmful, neutral, or beneficial to the offspring. If there is too much mutation at one time, then it will almost certainly be harmful. However, minor neutral or beneficial mutations can accumulate over time. This ultimately leads to speciation, that is, several species that cannot interbreed arising from a single one.

Social evolution emulates biological evolution, but rather than using genes, it uses memes, i.e., our values and beliefs. In the same way as biological evolution some “mutation” of memes is necessary for social evolution to take place. A little disagreement can be accommodated within a culture and helps it to develop. “Mutations” that are beneficial or neutral are retained and those that are harmful are abandoned. However, eventually, minor beneficial or neutral differences accumulate to a point where they cannot be accommodated and the culture divides. When the human population was relatively small, these new cultures could migrate and put geographical distance between them. Religious minorities, for example, migrated from Europe to America. In this way conflict was minimised and different cultures spread across the world. However, in the present-day, unoccupied territory is hard to find, if it exists at all. Furthermore, complex economic interdependencies bind us to our society far more strongly than was historically the case.  We are therefore more likely to meet and interact with others who hold values and beliefs different to our own. The risk of conflict has therefore increased. Examples include: the Russia/ Ukraine war, which is essentially about authoritarian versus democratic government, and the ownership of energy resources; the cultural divide in the USA; and even the current Western “woke/ anti-woke” debate.

People are, of course, attempting to find ways to extend the Goldilocks Zone. These attempts have met with mixed success, and I will discuss them in a future article. However, for the present, it is sensible to understand that people who have held a belief for most of their lives, and organisations that have long benefitted from a particular form of behaviour will not readily change. Forceful efforts to make them do so will almost certainly be greeted with an adverse reaction. So, it is sensible to walk away from situations likely to lead to conflict if you can. Also, if you wish to bring someone around to your views, then it is best to present your arguments at a slow and steady pace, and in chunks that can be easily consumed.

Finally, the way in which we disagree is important and guidance can be found at http://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.html with a helpful diagram at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Graham_(programmer)#/media/File:Graham’s_Hierarchy_of_Disagreement-en.svg

The Relationship between the Goldilocks Zone Hypothesis of Disagreement, Groupthink, and Spreadthink.

With thanks to Matthew Shapiro for highlighting this relationship.

The terms groupthink and spreadthink are normally used in the context of decision-making by groups of individuals who have convened to address an issue of interest. Groupthink applies when all members have common beliefs and values regarding the issue. In these circumstances, it is relatively easy for the group to come to agreement. Spreadthink applies when the members have such different beliefs and values that agreement cannot be reached. Between the two is a goldilocks zone in which some effort is needed to reach agreement, but the outcome better addresses the issue.

However, the concept of spreadthink can be defined more generally as “the inability of a group of individuals, organisations, or even nations to agree on matters they have convened to address, due to irreconcilable differences in their values and beliefs”. The concept of groupthink can be generalized in much the same way.

There is a relationship between the goldilocks zone hypothesis and both groupthink and spreadthink. Extreme spreadthink can be defined as super-optimal disagreement between every pair of members of the group. That is, disagreement that is greater than that of the goldilocks zone. Extreme groupthink can be defined as sub-optimal disagreement between every pair of members of the group. That is disagreement that is less than that of the goldilocks zone.

In practice, however, both extremes are rarely encountered. It is rare for all interactions between group members to be ones of full agreement. It is also rare for all interactions to be ones of irreconcilable disagreement. The latter does not mean, however, that a group will be effective in addressing their issue of interest. For example, there may be sufficient interactions lying within or below the goldilocks zone to form two or more sub-groups – each subgroup comprising members with common relevant values and beliefs. These sub-groups then become components of the group. Super-optimal disagreement between them can cause a failure to address the issue of interest. It can also cause the group to split. It can even cause conflict.

The concepts of the goldilocks zone, groupthink, and spreadthink are clearly important in explaining social interactions at all levels, from the individual to the nation. I think that they warrants further investigation, therefore.

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08. Values

Values

Values are beliefs about what is important to us individually, or to society as a whole. That is, what we believe to be “good” or “bad”. When values are shared by a group of people, they form a part of that group’s culture. They play a significant part in motivating our behaviour. Each comes with a set of norms, i.e., what we believe to be good or bad behaviour. Values are also information, and so, they can be true to reality or erroneous. If the latter, they may not be good for us individually or for society.

We are not born with values. Rather, we merely have an innate drive to satisfy our personal needs as efficiently and effectively as we can. For example, a young child will cry in distress when it is hungry, thirsty, or experiences any other form of discomfort. Freud referred to this aspect of our personality as the “Id”, and it remains at the core of our being throughout our lives.

Humans have an unusually long childhood compared with other animals of similar body mass. This is thought to be related to the number of neurons in our brains, and thus, the time it takes to become mentally capable of independence. Our long childhood creates a significant overlap with older generations. Throughout it, most learn that we must often co-operate with others to satisfy our needs. Values that enable us to co-operate in this way are passed on to us by our parents and other adults with whom we interact. However, depending on the nature of our upbringing, we may either internalise such values or not. That is, make them an integral part of our psyche. If they are internalised, they tend to remain with us throughout our lives and act as our conscience, which Freud referred to as the “super-ego”.

However, there are some who do not internalise such values. This may be due to random mutations in the variable genome that make it difficult to do so. Alternatively, it may be that early mutations making internalisation possible have not been inherited. However, another very significant factor is childhood upbringing. Parents may not have passed on such values, or may even have passed on contradictory ones such as “looking after number one” or “the end justifies the means”. Unsurprisingly, therefore, such children grow up with little more than an inherited self-interest. In extreme cases, this can take the form of psychopathy, narcissism, or dark empathy, and will be discussed in future articles.

According to Freud, another aspect of our personality, the “ego”, uses reason to balance the demands of the id and super-ego, thereby optimising our behaviour in our best interests. It enables a balance to be struck between the two extremes of immediate self-interest and our longer-term interest gained through co-operation with others.

We are attracted to groups that we feel will enable us to satisfy our needs. These needs are not only our normal ones of survival and existence, relatedness to others, and personal growth and development. Unfortunately, it can also include anti-social needs such as the need for dominance, greed, sex, etc.

Values vary from group to group. To be accepted as a member of a group, we must accept its values. However, this can lead to internal conflicts. Our internalised values or lack of them may not match those of the group. Thus, to gain the benefits of group membership, we have learnt to put on a mask. That is to overtly display values that we do not necessarily hold. This may be an inherited trait that is more dominant in some than in others. So, for example, if one wishes to join a group to gain power and dominance, then one will at first disguise this motivation and express group values in order to gain followers. However, Carl Rogers believed that the internal stress of the mask can ultimately lead to mental ill health. Certainly, it is difficult to sustain in the longer term. So, if someone seeking power has held a mask in order to gain it, then they will drop it as soon as they have sufficient power to coerce their followers. I am sure that you can think of examples from present day politics.

This ability to wear a mask and present a false impression of our values and beliefs is, of course, the foundation of our ability to lie and provide misinformation. In turn, such misinformation and the variety of values are the reason why society is so complex and difficult to predict. This will be discussed further in the next article.