Towards a theory of collective phenomena. II: Conformity and power

✍ Scribed by Serge Galam; Serge Moscovici

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 1009 KB
• Volume: 24
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0046-2772
• DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2420240406

✦ Synopsis

A new theory of power is presented using the concept of symmetry breakdown in small and large groups. Power appears to result from the building up of conflicts within the group. Introduction and support of these conflicts requires an internal organization of the group. The organization-associated complexity is a decreasing function of group size. Thus small groups have more difficulties in generating internal conjicts fhan large ones. This group dynamic is characterized by two states which are diflerent in their nature. The group is first built within the paradigmatic state aimed to determine and reproduce group conformity The group challenge is then to reach the transitional state which enriches the group possibilities through the inclusion and stabilization of internal conflicts.