Grupė kaip dinaminė sistema: nuo ko pradėti?
The Group as a Dynamical System: A Possible Starting Point

Summary/Abstract: This article outlines the nature of the observations and modelling which are necessary to obtain a well defined characterisation of a subcultural group. The general rule indicates that, for a useful characterisation of a group, it is necessary to describe not only its state but also the way the group interacts with its environment, i.e., the rest of the society. To understand the dynamics of a group it is necessary to study these characterisations at more than one instance. With regard to the first point, it makes a significant difference what variables to consider when describing the state of a group. On the one hand, the variables considered by the press and other actors in the environment of the group may not all be important; on the other hand, the same variables may not be sufficient to characterise either the group or its interaction with the environment. The second point reveals what is necessary to begin defining the functions that allow a causal explanation of the behaviour of a group. Only after constructing a complete – even if approximate – model of a group can a researcher decide if both the observations and the theorizing are on the right track.

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