Примењена лингвистика у част Ранку Бугарском - Језик у

JEZIK U UPOTREBI / LANGUAGE IN USE
Life is only possible in open systems exchanging matter, energy and information
with outside world. It is also clear that a society is a nonlinear system; what
one person does influences the action of others (Prigogine 2000: 895-896; italics
mine).
Complexity theory supposes that speech communities, as any other systems
or social organizations, rather than simply following the idea of traditional
hierarchical organization, should self-organize heterarchically in accordance with
their own needs and world views (Wheatley, Kellner-Rogers 1996), thus forming
versatile and adjustable internal structures and engaging to the maximum of
their capacities in order to achieve higher levels of complexity. Heterachic organizations
are created through relations of interdependence in a complex social
network of interaction and cooperation in self-organized structures (Stark 2001:
75). Therefore, speech communities can be organized either as mechanical or as
complex systems. If we strive to reach new levels of complexity and heterarchy,
we create adaptable, flexible, intelligent, resilient and self-renewable social systems
which are capacitated to successfully react and respond to different types of
social, political, cultural and other challenges (Wheatley, Kellner-Rogers 1996).
In line with what Prigogine (2000) stated about the way one person’s behavior
influences the rest of the members within a community, one more aspect of complex
systems should be underlined: people create networks in which individuals
sharing the same world ideologies come into contact. Then, through their interactions,
communities of practice emerge, whose members share a common purpose
and work towards common benefit:
In spite of current ads and slogans, the world doesn’t change one person at a
time. It changes as networks of relationships form among people who discover
they share a common cause and vision of what’s possible. (…) Rather than worry
about critical mass, our work is to foster critical connections. We don’t need to
convince large numbers of people to change; instead, we need to connect with
kindred spirits. Through these relationships, we will develop the new knowledge,
practices, courage, and commitment that lead to broad-based change (Wheatley,
Frieze 2006).
Concepts of self-organization, resilience, innovation, and adaptability to
change then become cornerstones of a community of practice which is ready to
achieve higher levels of complexity and adapt to new surroundings (i.e., new
socio-political, cultural, historical and other demands of the world we live in).
According to Wheatley (2004: 21), in complex systems, everything that
disrupts the existing order of the system actually plays a crucial role in self-
and interaction in continuious change.
129