permaculture

[Mark on Gmail <markwolfe.mail@gmail.com>]

Cory and others-

I have struggled with this concept as well, and often felt natural 
affinity toward the idea of "leaderless organization". My notion of 
hierarchy also connoted inequity and the like, but I don't think it is 
necessarily the case when you look at it from the perspective the new 
research coming out.  The Gladwell piece in the New Yorker was very 
relevant and helpful to get the conversation going, but others a little 
more akin to the permaculture movement have already started to look into 
such matters. Joseph Tainter and a long time colleague and botanist at 
have developed the ideas of "hierarchy theory." Also, Thomas W. Hoekstra 
has been ahead of the game on this to in his book, "Toward a unified 
ecology." Tainter and Hoekstra's book "Supply-side sustainability" 
touches greatly on the topic of hierarchies too.

Great discussion!

-Mark


> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 1 Nov 2010 04:43:56 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Cory Brennan<cory8570@yahoo.com>
> To: permaculture<permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Subject: Re: [permaculture] hierarchies and networks
> Message-ID:<407183.50431.qm@web52607.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> This is a great analysis of some of the potential and existing problems in 
> hierarchies.
>
> I've observed the "king in his own corner" phenomena as well. Maybe there is some kind 
> of instinctual thing, like top predators have, of defending one's own territory and keeping it 
> separate from that of others. But on the other hand, I don't think anyone would argue that we 
> tend to be herd animals - tribal for thousands of years. Many herds have "alpha" 
> animals, those that rise to the top of the hierarchy based on skill sets or ability to dominate. 
> But others are more organic, allowing one animal to lead, then another. Geese in a flock, 
> dolphins, and others.
>
> Studying leadership paradigms in the natural world has been helpful for me to 
> get out of the box on how hierarchies can work. Some key elements to keeping 
> the organization responsive are observing the system, willingness to accept 
> self-regulation and feedback and creatively responding to change. Diversity 
> and beneficial connection (along with accepting feedback) help one understand 
> what the organization is actually doing, by getting multiple viewpoints of 
> it. Each principle has particular applications for leadership.
>
> Sometimes it could appear that some aspects of our instinctual nature are at 
> war with our ability to reason. Where is the line drawn between fighting one 
> another for territory, and cooperating?
>
> Cory
>
>