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Presents observations on the conference papers on cultural systems and organizational processes in the U.S. Basis for descriptive precision; Identification of the most basic empirical questions regarding culture; Distinct formalization of social systems.

Editorial. Discusses the annual meeting of the American Society for Cybernetics that was held in 1997. Focus of the society since 1947; Principal outcome of the society's research program; Contributors to the field of second-order cybernetics; Chairman of the meeting.

This article consists of three parts. In the first part we describe a short history of cybernetics and an effort, which has been undertaken by a group of scientists in the United States and Europe in recent years, to expand the conception of science so that it more successfully encompasses the social sciences. The intent is to aid communication among disciplines and improve our ability to manage social systems. The second part of the article presents an effort in Russia to develop reflexivity theory into a general theory of purposeful, self-developing systems, thus improving our understanding and management of social systems. Understanding Western and Eastern approaches to cybernetics can be difficult because of the very different histories and intellectual traditions of cybernetics in the United States and Russia. The article ends with a comparison of the two approaches to cybernetics, comparing their features side by side. The differences suggest a great potential for ideas from Russian and Western scientists to enrich the further development of cybernetics and science in East and West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an obituary for college professor Robbin R. Hough who died of esophageal cancer on November 25, 1999 in the United States.

Focuses on the annual meeting of the American Society for Cybernetics that was held in 1997. Focus of the meeting; Person who coined the term for the focus of the meeting; Speakers present at the meeting.

Profiles life and works of Eugene J. Meehan, professor at University of Missouri in Saint Louis, Missouri who died on October 8, 2002. Background and experience of Meehan; Contribution made by Meehan in the field of social sciences; Theme of the books written by Meehan.