SOCIETALogy: A Brief Outlook
SOCIETALogy is a new management science 
which stems from the research Denis Pageau undertook in 2007.
His aim was to better understand the foundations of our societies, in order to create a community of practices for citizens.
This fundamental research led Mr. Pageau to conclude that :
1 – Societies are only the result of our individual, group and collective actions.
2 – Societies are associations and therefore a form of organization.
Societalogy studies societies as organizations. To be more precise, they are our primary organizations.
3 – Societies belong to the citizens. As societies are associations, we are all associates of the societies in which we live.
Societalogy studies citizenship as a form of profession. To be more precise, it’s our primary profession.
4 – In terms of management, societalogy simplifies the management of our societies. Indeed, societalogically speaking, we only manage individually, in groups or collectively only four types of societal resources.
Although they vary in quantity, quality and availability, all societies have access to natural, human, abstract and transformed resources. (That is why there are four diamonds in the logo).
Societalogy thus study HOW the societal resources present on a given territory AFFECT the individual, group and collective actions of citizens and HOW these actions in turn AFFECT the quality, the quantity and the availability of these four societal resources. (The Societalogy logo reflects this process, with its magnifying glass focusing on the 4 resources).
It is this dynamic that is at the heart of the various social tensions, frictions and conflicts present in all societies, which under some circumstances transforms into societal cancers.
Thus societalogy enables us to study:
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- Societies as primary organizations.
- Citizenship as a our primary profession.
- Citizens as associates of the societies in which they live.
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Societalogy Completes the Portrait
Incidentally, societalogy not only meets a pressing need, but this new management science completes the picture of management science.
Indeed, the 20th century led us to create many management sciences that have helped us to better manage all our organizations whether public or private, for-profit or not, including our civil service, our education and health care systems, transportation, etc., but we still had to develop one to manage our societies.
In fact, some authors had either predicted or foreseen this evolution.
Armand Hatchuel, for example, in his article:
“What horizon for management sciences? Towards a theory of collective action” (Available in French “Quel horizon pour les sciences de gestion? Vers une théorie de l’action collective,”)
published in the book
The New Foundations of Management Sciences (Les Nouvelles Fondations des sciences de gestion,)
predicted that management sciences would evolve into a science that would be useful for managing our societies.
We could also say that Peter Senge, in his book “The 5th Discipline“, foresaw the development of such a science in the chapter “A 6th Discipline”.
One Science, Two Specialties, Two Models
Societalogy is a management science that seeks to understand:
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- how citizens organized themselves to create and maintain their association, and
- how they acquire the necessary knowledge and develop the necessary skills that will facilitate their social and societal integration while facilitating the functioning and development of their governments and their societies.
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From these two specialties, we can use the resulting societalogical knowledge to create two theoretical models, one for our societies and the other for us as citizens.
Societies
Societalogically speaking, a performing society, or if you prefer a “good” society, is a balanced society, which means that various social and societal management processes facilitate the:
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- development as well as the social and societal integration of citizens,
- functioning and development of governments,
- functioning and development of the collectivity, thus the society.
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So, when the majority of our
individual, group and collective actions facilitate our development as well as the functioning and development of our governments and societies, our social order is in balance.
Citizens
Societalogically speaking, competent citizens, or if you prefer “good” citizens, are citizens that have:
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- gained the knowledge (Know)
- developed the skills (Know-How)
- adopt an attitude (Know-How-to-Be )
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that will facilitate their social and societal integration as well as the:
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- development, the social and societal integration of their fellow citizens,
- functioning and development of their governments,
- functioning and development of their collectivity, thus their society.
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In short, one of the major advantages of societalogy is that it enables us
to use neutral points of reference to guide our individual, group and collective actions. This enables us to become more competent citizens and develop balanced societies.
A Descriptive, Prescriptive and Normative Approach
Like sociology, societalogy can be used to describe a society.
However, since it is a management science and it makes it possible to create theoretical models as we have seen above, we can use the societalogical approach to identify best practices.
This ability to identify best practices makes societalogy a prescriptive and normative science. It can therefore be used to prescribe, i.e. provide guidance, and normalize, i.e. create norms.
Finally, societalogy can even be used to study the evolution of a particular society. It can even be used to predict if this society is evolving towards equilibrium, regressing towards extremism, or will continue to be a stable balanced society.
The Societalogical Prescription:
Creating a Sustainable Social Order
To solve these problems, we need to focus on the most important societal resources: abstract resources. At least, when it comes to developing a sustainable social order.
Indeed, it is on the basis of our knowledge and beliefs that we draft laws, rules and regulations, create management processes or adopt habits and customs. These abstract resources can be compatible with the development or maintenance of a sustainable social order, or on the contrary, they can be detrimental to it.
As all the elements mentioned above 
are influenced by the knowledge and beliefs present in our societies, we need to assess which knowledge and beliefs will lead us to choose or create laws, rules, regulations, habits and customs compatible with a balanced society.
This is not to say that there won’t be fluctuations in social order, but fluctuations will be limited by the level of competence of citizens and civic professionals.
Increase our overall skill level
To reduce fluctuations in the social 
order, we need to increase our “Citizen Quotient” to 60%. By then, as citizens, we will have acquired the knowledge and developed the skills that will enable us to become competent towards :
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- Ourselves (Personal skills)
- Others (Social Competencies)
- Our collectivities (Societal Competencies)
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This will facilitate our personal development as well as our social and societal integration.
Increase the General Level of Competence of our Civic Professionals
If 60% is enough for citizens in general, our civic professionals should be more competent. For example, the level of competence of civic leaders and politicians should make them proficient citizens.
However, the level of competence senior politicians such as presidents, prime ministers, secretaries and senior civil servants, should make them expert citizens.
This higher level of knowledge and 
abilities is necessary, because these citizens must facilitate the development, improvement or maintenance of social order.
They are the ones who must better understand the evolution of our local, national and intermediary societies, and ensure that the laws, rules, regulations and management processes we create, and the habits and customs we adopt, facilitate :
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- Our development as well as our social and societal integration.
- Functioning and development of our governments.
- Functioning and development of our collectivity, thus our society.
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They must therefore be at the proficient or expert level.
Linking Governance and Ethics
Societalogy is first and foremost a science of macromanagement. It helps us identify the societal goals and objectives we want to achieve. It helps us to govern our societies, which are, societalogically speaking, our primary organizations.
In this way, societalogy influences other management sciences and other organizations, which are, again societalogically speaking, secondary organizations.
Once we have identified our goals and objectives, it is then possible to identify and implement societal best practices. Societalogically speaking, citizenship is our primary profession.
Societalogy therefore has an influence 
on other professions, which are, again societalogically speaking, secondary professions.
In this way, societalogy helps to create a link between governance – that of a balanced society – and civic ethics.
Anywhere, Any Size and Any Time
Finally, as you can probably imagine, this new macromanagement science can be used to study any society, whatever its size is and wherever it is on our global village.
Societalogy can not only have a positive impact on the internal management of our societies, but also facilitate the management of our global village.
Voilà! This gives you a good overview of what societalogy is all about. If you think this can be of services for you, please view our service section.
Societally yours,
The SOCIETALogical Team