City Research Online

Abstract

Deleuze's concept of the control society presciently sketches a world of power as 'universal modulation'. This article investigates the applicability of this understanding of control to today's socio-technical systems. It investigates Deleuze's control society by reference to the philosophy of cybernetics, situating a restrictive interpretation with reference to Norbert Weiner's theory of control systems in animals and machines. We argue that in maintaining a concept of control-as-homeostatic feedback modulation, cybernetic readings tend to ignore the constructive, enabling dimension of control. To remedy this, we analyse a recent concept developed in the field of business studies of information technology: the platform. Extrapolating beyond the existing literature of platform design, we develop a generalised theory of the platform as an alternative model of control, through the concept of generative entrenchment.

Publication Type:	Article
Publisher Keywords:	COMPLEXITY; CONTROL SOCIETY; CYBERNETICS; DELEUZE; GENERATIVE ENTRENCHMENT; PLATFORMS; WIENER; WIMSATT
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Departments:	School of Policy & Global Affairs > Sociology & Criminology
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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