Structure–organization–process

<h2 id="capra">Capra</h2>
<p>In The Web of Life, <a href="/facts/Fritjof_Capra/tI95W5g4">Fritjof Capra</a> (1996:156) synthesized the systems theory literature and, in particular, Maturana and Varela’s contribution, by setting out three criteria for a living system — the pattern of organization, the structure and the life process:
</p>
<ul><li>Pattern of organization is the configuration of relationships that determines the systems essential characteristics (<a href="/facts/Autopoiesis/zDC1752T">Autopoiesis</a> as defined by Maturana and Varela, 1987).</li>
<li>Structure is the physical embodiment of the system’s pattern of organization (Dissipative structures as defined by <a href="/facts/Prigogine/78YXpj4S">Prigogine</a> and Stengers, 1987).</li>
<li>Life process is the activity involved in the continual embodiment of the system’s pattern of organization. (Cognition as defined by <a href="/facts/Gregory_Bateson/gu13XFtu">Gregory Bateson</a>, 1979).</li></ul>
<p>While Capra concentrates his discussion on living things, the idea behind the concept of structure–organization–process is one in which a process [self] organizes [its own] structure (autopoieses as defined by Maturana and Varela, 1987). As we can see, the definitions for these three elements are a little confusing. This is why the idea of <i>structure–organization–process</i> (SOP) has been applied more generally by Linda Glassop (2007).
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<h2 id="levels">Levels</h2>
<p>At the level of a real thing, SOP describes:
</p>
<ul><li>Structure refers to the attributes distinguishing something (trait, value, shape and efficacy).</li>
<li>Organization refers to parts that comprise something: the properties (evident by valued traits), and their relationship (evident by their shape and efficacy).</li>
<li>Process refers to the constitution of parts (the bundle of related properties) that produces a whole thing.</li></ul>
<p>In the ontological literature, SOP describes:
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<ul><li>Structure refers closed systems (or the attributes of the universe that are independent).</li>
<li>Organization refers to open systems (or the parts of the universe that depend on closed systems).</li>
<li>Process refers to social systems (or the wholes that are inter–dependent on closed and open systems that make up eco–systems, e.g., the universe).</li></ul>
<p>In the metaphysics literature, SOP describes:
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<ul><li>Structure refers to individual things.</li>
<li>Organization refers to categories of things (clusters of individuals, where a part is a category).</li>
<li>Process refers to universal things (all things, e.g., parts as the set).</li></ul>
<h2 id="sop-model">SOP model</h2>
<p>The SOP model described by Glassop (2007) opens up a way of looking at anything by considering:
</p>
<ol><li>what the thing is composed of (the <i>structures</i> that distinguish it),</li>
<li>how the thing is composed (the <i>organization</i> of the parts), and</li>
<li>that a whole thing is an organized structure (the <i>process</i> of comprising the parts).</li></ol>
<p>What we see in this description is that real things are multi–faceted and that each level needs to be considered separate and together. Glassop has utilized this framework to provide a theoretical description for the Periodic Table of Elements and the key features of DNA.
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<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>

<ul><li><a href="/facts/Social_structure/MyCzKt4H">Social structure</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Structure_and_agency/7DvqIwf1">Structure and agency</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Complexity_theory_and_organizations/XH91KN0k">Complexity theory and organizations</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Social_change/koLr0mLY">Social change</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Negarchy/owpNWqCG">Negarchy</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Ideology/BWooMbq7">Ideology</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Autopoiesis/zDC1752T">Autopoiesis</a></li></ul>

<ul><li>Bateson, G. (1979) <i>Mind and Nature: A necessary unity</i>, E.P. Dutton, New York.</li>
<li>Capra, F. (1996) <i>The Web of Life: A new synthesis of mind and matter</i>, Harper Collins Publishers, New York.</li>
<li>Glassop, L.I. (2007) <i>Rethinking Causality: pattern as the science of change</i>, Heidelberg Press, Melbourne.</li>
<li>Maturana, H.R. and Varela, F.J. (1987) <i>The Tree of Knowledge: The biological roots of human understanding</i>, Shambala, Boston.</li>
<li>Prigogine, I. and Stengers, I. (1984) <i>Order Out of Chaos: Man's new dialogue with nature</i>, Bantam Books, New York.</li></ul>

Structure–organization–process open-in-new

Structure–organization–process