The Dynamics of Self-Organization: Neglected Dimensions

The following reviews the promises and limitations for social work of self-organization theory, an integral part of the emerging field of complex systems. Self-organization refers to the capacity of many systems to spontaneously develop novel forms of organization with little external interference. The primary focus of the review involves what the author contends are several neglected dimensions of higher level self-organizing systems, specifically: (1) the role of consciousness and intentionality; (2) the capacity for self-selection as a means of seeding self-organizing processes; and (3) the possibility that some forms of self-organization are based on nonlocal processes involving the synchronistic correlation between separated parts of systems. (C) 2004 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.