Understanding Political Crises in the 2020s - a Sociocybernetics Approach

The growing instability in politics worldwide has been accelerating over the last couple of years, with both national and international norms collapsing one after another. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread damage not only to global health but also to national economies. The wider socio-political effects of the measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID (e.g., lockdowns, mask mandates, the closing of borders) remain unclear. War has broken out in Eastern Europe, shaking to the core the established norms of the post-Cold War world. The EU is struggling to adapt to this and other political situations (e.g., Brexit, immigration, intra-block disagreements) while military groups such as NATO and the Quad now find purpose in their aim to reinstate a Western-led international order. Global markets are in turmoil, triggered in part by the effects of all these crises on global supply chains and leaving many in the Global South facing rapid inflation and at risk of food insecurity. In all cases, political responses thus far have been left wanting.

In such a world a systemic understanding and response is demanded. This session aims to bring together speakers to discuss these national and international political issues that have emerged over the last few years and how a sociocybernetics approach can understand them. We welcome both theoretical and empirical studies which touch on the wider impact of the various crises we face today and on the ability for politicians and policymakers to tackle them.