Is Sociocracy an empty method?

The Sociocratic Circle-Organization Method (Sociocracy) is said to be ’empty’ since the users are free to fill out their own details.¹ I think this is true for many methods, including Holacracy and Sociocracy 3.0.²

Sociocracy is based on the following norms:³

SCN 500 The Sociocratic Method: Terms and definitions.
SCN 1001-0 The Sociocratic Method: Patterns for application, the production of equivalency in decision making.
SCN 1001-1 The Sociocratic Method: Patterns for application. Part 1. Production of dynamic organization.
SCN 1001-2 The Sociocratic Method: Patterns for application. Part 2. Leading dynamic organization.
SCN 1001-3 The Sociocratic Method: Patterns for application. Part 3. Anchoring of the method in legal terms.
SCN 1001-4 The Sociocratic Method: Patterns for application. Part 4. Mutual involvement.
SCN 1001-5 The Sociocratic Method: Patterns for application. Part 5. Production of ways of development.
SCN 1001-6 The Sociocratic Method: Patterns for application. Part 6. Production of Existence Ability Guarantee (EAG).

So, is Sociocracy empty? No, not really! Why would Sociocracy need to be ‘open’ to change,⁴ if it’s empty? And why are these norms needed in the first place? What are the assumptions behind these norms? I think this is related to the operating idea in Sociocracy, which is cybernetics.

Notes:
¹ Global Sociocratic Center, Sociocratic Norm SCN 1001-0, (5th edition, 2010–2015), p. 2.
² Sociocracy 3.0 builds on the Sociocratic Norms. See Sociocracy 3.0 Foundations Part 1.
³ Global Sociocratic Center, Sociocratic Norm SCN 1001-0, (5th edition, 2010–2015), p. 5.
⁴ Ibid., p. 2.

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