Control - An Attempt at Forming a Theory

Control is usually seen as hierarchical, centralized inspection. Without control, chaos is thought to prevail. This tendency can be illustrated by the way the public sector seems to solve most social problems: by legislation and bureaucracy. In this article five control forms are developed: bureaucracy, market, democracy, collective, and knowledge. Their similarities and differences are outlined, and the principles behind their use and internal dynamics are analysed. Finally, the development of control forms in modern societies is discussed.