Liebe Mitglieder der GK, Hier wieder ein paar Neuigkeiten, die uns erreichten und die wir gerne an Sie weitergeben möchten. Dear Sir or Madam, We are currently organizing a conference on 'Language and Music as Cognitive Systems', to be held in Cambridge, UK, in May 2007. The focus will be on cognitive, neural, and evolutionary perspectives. Attached goes the first announcement for this event (in DOC and PDF formats). It would be great if you could send the conference announcement to the members of the Gesellschaft für Kognitionswissenschaft and add the conference to your website. Thank you very much in advance. Sincerely, Patrick Rebuschat -- Patrick Rebuschat Research Centre for English & Applied Linguistics University of Cambridge Cambridge CB3 9EU United Kingdom =================================================== EuroCogSci07 Dear Colleague: We would like to let you know that the Second European Cognitive Science Conference (EuroCogSci07) will be held in Delphi, Greece, May 23-27, 2007. EuroCogSci07 is jointly organized by the Cognitive Science Society and by the Hellenic Cognitive Science Society. Further information, including information about registration fees and accommodation can be found at the conference website: http://conferences.phs.uoa.gr/EuroCogSci07/ PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING Important Dates: All submissions due: November 15, 2006 Acceptance notifications: February 15, 2007 Final camera-ready copies due: March 9, 2007 Conference General Chairs: Stella Vosniadou (UOA, Greece) Daniel Kayser (Université Paris Nord, France) Sincerely, Professor Stella Vosniadou Graduate Program in Cognitive Science, University of Athens. =================================================== Dear Colleague I am writing today to let you know of several developments and updates regarding the ISCE Group's activities. This update includes details about the following: 1. NEW Title: Organizations as Complex Systems: Managing the Complex Volume 2 by Maurice Yolles - Available in two weeks; 2. 1st International Workshop on 'Storytelling and Complexity in Human Systems - Las Cruces October 27-29, 2006; 3. Proposal submission deadline extended until the end of October for the 1st International Workshop on Complexity and Organizational Resilience, The Role of Complexity Thinking in Building and Sustaining Resilience in Dynamics Organizations, 24-25 May 2007 Pohnpei, Micronesia; _______________________________________ 1. Organizations as Complex Systems: An Introduction to Knowledge Cybernetics (Managing the Complex Volume 2) by Maurice Yolles This new 'complexity' title will be available in the next fortnight, but can be pre-ordered now in hardback with a 20% discount. This book develops a cybernetic theory of the organization as a complex autonomous and self-organizing, self-producing and self-creating social community, and in so doing it will set the scene to discuss a variety of aspects of organizational and social processes and forms that arise from a systemic view. It begins by creating a philosophical foundation, it develops a viable systems approach that proceeds to cover a whole range of topics in a coherent and integrated way that are today seen to be important to social communities. Fundamentally developing as a knowledge management text, topics covered include community mission, purposes, interests, structure, politics, ethics, control, communications, management and conflict processes. It will also deliver an appreciation of the nature and use of information, knowledge and intelligence to assist the management of social communities. The book's 16 sixteen chapters are divided into five sections: I. Fundamentals, II. Complex Organizations, III. Knowledge and Cybernetics, IV. The Cybernetics of Communication, and V. Social Behavior. A full contents list is available at: http://isce.edu/ISCE_Group_Site/web-content/ISCE%20Publishing/MtC_Vol2/M tC_V2_contents.pdf and an extensive index is available at: http://isce.edu/ISCE_Group_Site/web-content/ISCE%20Publishing/MtC_Vol2/M tC_V2_index.pdf To pre-order this item please visit: http://isce.edu/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=47 The Series Editors' Introduction follows: We are pleased to introduce to you the second volume in the Managing the Complex series. Whereas volume one, like most volumes planned for this series, comprised chapters contributed by a number of different authors, some from quite different traditions, this second volume was composed by a single author, Maurice Yolles. Not only does the singular authorship distinguish this volume from past and future volumes, but the depth and breadth of the analysis provided is quite staggering - this volume represents a truly impressive achievement. In this volume Maurice attempts to develop a comprehensive theory of social collectives as complex systems. Not only has he utilized ideas and frameworks already familiar to complex systems researchers, but he has also incorporated other perspectives (such as third order cybernetics, viable systems theory and social constructivism, as a few examples) some of which the reader may not already be aware of, and some of which the reader may be surprised to learn are not disparate and disconnected. This pluralistic synthesis results in a text that not only contains a thorough review of the existing literature and its various interconnections (which is of considerable value in itself), but also a wealth of new and original insights - more than one would usually expect from a single volume. The series editors’ own research highlights the importance of adopting a critically pluralist position in any effort to understand complex systems, and the unlikelihood of any single overarching framework of being able to ‘contain’ complex systems. However, the ‘story’ Yolles tells of organizations as complex systems does at times seem so convincing that one might find oneself beginning to question the impossibility of constructing such an all-embracing framework - maybe ‘plurality’ can be effectively abstracted/transformed into a ‘meta-singularity’. We are very grateful to Maurice for approaching us and allowing us to include his tour de force as part of the ongoing Managing the Complex series. We strongly believe that the motivated reader will discover an abundance of intellectual gems within these pages that will enrich both their own intellectual (internal) journey and their practical (external) attempts to make ‘social collectives’ thrive in every possible sense. ISBN: 9781593114329 Pages: 836 Author: Maurice Yolles Series Editors: Kurt A. Richardson & Michael R. Lissack Publisher: Information Age Publishing Binding: Hardback 2. 1st International Workshop on 'Storytelling and Complexity in Human Systems - Las Cruces October 27-29, 2006 The organizers of this event are still accepting submissions. For full details please visit: http://isce.edu/ISCE_Group_Site/web-content/ISCE%20Events/Las_Cruces_200 6.html Ken Baskin ( baskinman47@yahoo.com) David Boje ( dialog@peaceaware.com) 3. 1st International Workshop on Complexity and Organizational Resilience, The Role of Complexity Thinking in Building and Sustaining Resilience in Dynamics Organizations, 24-25 May 2007 Pohnpei, Micronesia The submission deadline for this event has been extended until the end of October (2006), and so if you are interested in attending please let the organizers know a.s.a.p. please. Full details of the event can be found at: http://isce.edu/ISCE_Group_Site/web-content/ISCE%20Events/Pohnpei_2007.h tml If you have any questions about the ISCE Group's publications and events then please feel free to contact me at your convenience. I hope you find at least some of our offerings of interest and value. Kind regards Kurt Richardson