Differentiation and integration as the basic forms of organization of biosocial systems

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15421/272102

Abstract

Currently, there is a revival of interest in the study of the mechanisms of organization of the human community using a system-holistic approach. It is quite acceptable to use animal biocommunities as a model of human society. The analysis of the processes of socialization, in the latter, will make it possible to reveal and to a greater extent clarify the main vectors of integration of the social community of people. This article will consider the main ways of organizing biocommunities as system-integral formations of an adaptive nature. In our research, we proceeded from the approach proposed by the classic of sociobiology N. Tinbergen in his book «Social Behavior of Animals». Where he distinguishes two types of community organization –differentiation and integration. Based on the results of our research, we come to the following conclusions: First, it is necessary to distinguish between two main ways of biosocialization – differentiation and integration into a single integral biosystem. Socialization by the type of integration may be considered as a special case of socialization by the type of differentiation. In addition, there is an independent way of forming biocommunities – sociotomy, which, however, is not a mechanism of socialization, but only a way of forming new communities. Second, the basis for the integration of individuals into the bio-community is their functional dependence, leading to the division of individuals into functional castes. This is especially clearly illustrated by the process of community formation in social insects, where the female founder artificially, by controlling the development of her offspring, “lays down” its functional dependence on herself. Third, the process of biosocialization can be represented as follows: 1) the presence of an integrating system core; 2) involvement of new elements in the system; 3) integration of elements into a hierarchical structure; 4) loss of elements of the qualitative properties; 5) acquisition of new, holistic properties by the biosystem.

Published

2021-05-17