Social energy: a useful concept for analyzing complex social systems?

Energy, as used in physics, is a concept that specifies a capacity to do some work. It appears in various forms (internal energy, free energy etc.), describing characteristics of a system. Mathematical representations of energy occur in formal models which provide precise descriptions of the system under consideration. Given that in mathematical language operations can be performed with the symbols used in these descriptions, the mathematical model at the same time is a tool for analysing the system’s behaviour over time – its dynamics. Energy is thus a measurable characteristic of a physical system that helps understand system behaviour. In everyday language, the concept energy is used in a related but much broader sense: electricity and heating are forms of energy that are closer to the physics interpretation of the term, but also people may have energy. They can for example feel “full of energy” or be “bursting with energy”. Here, the concept expresses a drive, which includes not only a capacity but also a willingness to do something. The idea of “social energy” comprises elements from both fields just described. On the one hand, in analogy to the term energy in physics, “social energy” is intended to foster a better understanding of the behaviour of the systems under consideration. On the other hand, since the concept refers to social systems, one needs a broader interpretation of the term energy than in physics. Social energy sets a broader frame in which to develop models that facilitate thinking about SESs and their dynamics.