The social collective and the social and cultural atom in the age of the social network

Abstract

This article in the Zeitschrift fur Psychodrama und Soziometrie presents the use of the social collective as applied in a current psychotherapeutic practice. The significance and use of the social collective is one that has relevance in any field and is the cornerstone of the modern phenomenon of digital social networking. Dr. Jacob Levy Moreno was the originator of the concept and his ideas have influenced the development of the modern day social network. The earliest and smallest social atom is the mother and baby. While this social unit is the precursor to all others, new life can emerge wherever mutual positive tele flourishes. As the wave and particle in physics do not exist independently, neither does the twin concept of the social and cultural atom. The use of the latter as an evaluation tool in psychotherapy is powerful and along with the concept of the social collective, can be used to analyse patterns in any group or cultural context.