Systems thinking, complexity science, emergence and organisational development, the application of knowledge from Quakerism to public policy to achieve social enterprise and sustainable development

Sustainability Science: a review, an analysis and some empirical lessons

by Joachim H. Spangenberg

No open access

Sustainability science has developed from a new research field into a vibrant discipline in its own right, with... more Sustainability science has developed from a new research field into a vibrant discipline in its own right, with scientific conferences, journals and scientific societies dedicated to its pursuit.
Characterized more by its research purpose than by a common set of methods or objects, sustainability science can be subdivided into the more traditional disciplinary-based science for sustainability and the transdisciplinary science of sustainability. Whereas the former consists of more descriptive, analytical and basic science, the latter is characterized by reflexivity and applicability; on a meta level, the emergence of the latter can be understood as a new step in the evolution of science. This review provides an overview of the state of sustainability science, identifying action orientation, integrated assessments and interdisciplinarity as overall characteristics.
The review also focuses on methodological issues, highlighting differences in project organization and management, and the ways in which stakeholder participation can be organized in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research projects. Sustainability science is recognized as essential for progress towards sustainability, and as an opportunity to bring science
closer to the people, requiring significant changes in the way science is organized and conducted.
Keywords: extended peer community, post normal science,
research management, science policy interface, sustainability
science, transdisciplinarity

What is complexity governance and how can this be implemented in a world complexity observatories grid?

by Andrés Ginestet

What is complexity governance and how can this be implemented in a world complexity observatories grid?
more What is complexity governance and how can this be implemented in a world complexity observatories grid?

Complexity governance is the governance of any human
relation (complexity pattern) on a peer-to-peer (complexity expression) level.

This peer-to-peer relationship gets massively monitored and deformed by the influence of the system of violence. The system of violence is based on trauma and its effects on human behavior. Trauma is automatically regulated and activated within
society by the system of violence, as a complex system. As humans do not regulate voluntarily their complexity, nature cares for the regulation of human complexity by the means of the violence system. Nature regulates human complexity for the sake of the balance of all natural systems. This interest is not contrary but also not in favor of human species.

First priority in order to take over control of this natural function is to behave as to reduce trauma influence on human social construction worldwide (complexity symptom caused by complexity patterns). Consequently, human beings need to start
regulating their complexity at the same speed at which they reduce trauma rates. In order to achieve the goal of reducing the influence of violence on society, trauma needs to be driven below the necessary critical level leading to war. The necessary
critical level is defined in clinical/medical terms. The estimate is that this level is 30% of traumatic experience and epigenetic aberration in any human population. How can we best attain this goal? Establishing a grid of complexity governance run by civil population, by normal citizens, because they are the complexity producers.

For this purpose, people will have to be trained. The training will follow a guidance described in 7 steps1. Every citizen on the planet will have the possibility to undergo complexity governance training within the next 50 years. Volunteers are on their way, and this is a very natural procedure in civil society. The situation is different for state forces like Military and police. They would like to be involved and encouraged to be the first training in complexity governance. Their job is to maintain security and to reduce violence world wide, and their role will have to be enforced by law because they act within institutions. They are in fact the first ones who need and wish to take on the mission and lead a war against the violence system, systematically and with full conviction. But, they need to redefine their enemy as defined by laws that are not yet designed for this purpose. For this reason, legal systems defining democracy need to incorporate the understanding for the existing violence system as a system, as to back up state forces mission. This can be done in agreement with Global Civil Society, if citizens take on their responsibility in the process.

Modelling the Adaptability of Biological Systems

by Eugene Ch'ng

The Open Journal of Cybernetics and Systemics

There are millions of species of organisms in estimation today, each possessing different preferences or tolerance... more There are millions of species of organisms in estimation today, each possessing different preferences or tolerance towards a multitude of factors; these factors include mainly competition between species and environmental conditions. From a computer modelling point of view, these biological systems could be difficult to implement. However, if a unified formula could be found to measure all of the factors against the preferences of each life form, its potentials for modelling open systems that require multiple external input variables could be significant. This article explores a formula and variations of it as applied first to measure sessile systems – vegetation, which requires multiple variables for determining its fitness, and then to a pilot study exploring its use for dynamic vagile systems. Experiments suggest that using the formula and variations of it on vegetation communities yielded distribution patterns similar to those in natural landscapes. Experiments using the formula in the pilot study showed characteristics of emergent behaviours as each dynamic system seeks its own ecological niche. The findings provided evidence that the formula could be extended for modelling a wide variety
of open biological systems.

Championing Ecosystem Sustainability and Health: Profile and Tribute to the Life and Work of James Kay (1954-2004)

by Martin Bunch

Waltner-Toews, D., M. J. Bunch, et al. (2004). "Championing Ecosystem Sustainability and Health: Profile and Tribute to the Life and Work of James Kay (1954–2004)." EcoHealth 1(4): 334-339.

The past decade has seen considerable developments in the integrated study of ecosystem sustainability and health.... more The past decade has seen considerable developments in the integrated study of ecosystem sustainability and health. Important developments in theory, methods, and application of this area have emerged from the work of key individuals and informal, multidisciplinary networks of peers working across continents and countries and based in governments, universities, and private organizations. This profile focuses in particular on the critical influence of James Kay as a key advocate and intellectual champion for incorporating complexity and uncertainty into the "Ecosystem approach." The intent is to provide an overview of an important era in the application of this approach to address health and sustainability concerns and to highlight the frameworks, methods, and networks that have emerged as collective acknowledgments to the life and work of James Kay (1954–2004).

Inquiry on the Expected Synergy between the: Quatro-Construct Reducing Trauma, Enhancing Empathy, Guiding Epigenetics, Governing Complexity and Triad Generosity - Creativity - Solidarity

by Andrés Ginestet

This document illustrates how complexity theory linked to the violence theory of Andrés Ginestet is being integrated into general research

Generosity is supposed to be a related deeper turning point. An equivalent type of statement may be referred to... more Generosity is supposed to be a related deeper turning point. An equivalent type of statement may be referred to solidarity. Homo Sapiens, as a species, are distinguished clearly from other species by their socio-cultural nature, drawing on a deep inner universe of cultural meanings and values which inform both individual and group behaviors. These meanings are created phenomenologically in the gestalt of consciousness, framed in the context of deep value-systems which shift as a result of psychological, biological (and existential) realities. Recent research has begun to uncover the complex waves and patterns associated with these shifts. They indicate a dynamically stable system which underpins human activity at the level of both the individual and the civilization. In this context, technology is a materialization of the culture of our civilization and its material nature as a cultural meaning needs exploration and understanding. On in this way can we begin to understand the trajectory (or multiple trajectories) of our current civilization, with all its new connectivities and disconnectivities mediated as they are through information and other technologies.

How the arrow of feedback links the theories of organisational change: a multi-method use of action research

by madhu ranjan kumar

Adapting TQM to Change Indian Bureaucracy: A View From Inside

by madhu ranjan kumar

Complexity Definitions

by Andrés Ginestet

These definitions are included in a dynamic process and they change as the theory developed by Andrés Ginestet changes. Complexity is based on dynamics, and the response needs to follow the dynamics of complexity itself.

- Environmental complexity (C0) is any portion of organized information in any state that is required to fulfill... more - Environmental complexity (C0) is any portion of organized information in any state that is required to fulfill survival conditions for human complexity (C1+C2+C3)
- Absolute complexity (C1) is any defined portion of organized information in an inert state.
- Relative complexity (C2) is any dynamic communication (communicative exchange) of a defined portion of information.
- Contingent complexity (C3) is any dynamic multiverse possibility of any transformation of any absolute information that has (had) a relative quality to it.

Complexity Definitions

by Andrés Ginestet

These definitions are included in a dynamic process and they change as the theory developed by Andrés Ginestet changes. Complexity is based on dynamics, and the response needs to follow the dynamics of complexity itself.

- Environmental complexity (C0) is any portion of organized information in any state that is required to fulfill... more - Environmental complexity (C0) is any portion of organized information in any state that is required to fulfill survival conditions for human complexity (C1+C2+C3)
- Absolute complexity (C1) is any defined portion of organized information in an inert state.
- Relative complexity (C2) is any dynamic communication (communicative exchange) of a defined portion of information.
- Contingent complexity (C3) is any dynamic multiverse possibility of any transformation of any absolute information that has (had) a relative quality to it.

An Adaptive Ecosystem Approach to Rehabilitation and Management of the Cooum River Environmental System In Chennai, India

by Martin Bunch

Book:

Bunch, M. J. (2001). An Adaptive Ecosystem Approach to Rehabilitation and Management of the Cooum River Environmental System in Chennai, India. Geography Publication Series, No. 54. Waterloo, ON, Department of Geography, University Waterloo: 461. ISBN: 0921083629

and

PhD Dissertation, Department of Geography, Faculty of Environmental
Studies, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2000
xviii and 404p., 53 tables, 61 figures and 24 boxes

This research investigates the application of an adaptive ecosystem approach to the problem of the Cooum River and... more This research investigates the application of an adaptive ecosystem approach to the problem of the Cooum River and environs in Chennai (formerly Madras), India. The Cooum River is an extremely polluted urban stream that flows into the Bay of Bengal through the heart of Chennai, India’s fourth largest metropolis. During the dry (non-monsoon) season, the upper reaches of the river are dry and flow in the river may be attributed primarily to the production of sewage by the city’s population. The river is essentially a foul-smelling open sewer.

Complexity of the problem is due as much to human factors (population growth, poverty, uncontrolled urban development, jurisdictional conflicts, modes of behaviour of the citizenry, and institutional culture) as to physical characteristics of the system (flat topography, tidal action, blockage of the river mouth by sand bar formation, and monsoon flooding). Uncertainty in the situation is both structural (regarding main processes and activities in the system and the nature of relationships among the various actors and elements), and parametric (having to do with scarcity, poor quality and restricted access to data).

This work has drawn upon methods and techniques of Adaptive Environmental Management and Soft Systems Methodology to operate the ecosystem approach and address the problem. Specifically, this has involved a series of workshops which have brought together planners, researchers, NGOs, and other stakeholders in a participatory process oriented toward problem definition, system identification and conceptualization, determination of objectives for management, and the generation and exploration of management interventions. In addition, a central component of the program has been the development of a loosely-coupled GIS, environmental simulation model, and a decision support module. This is based upon a framework provided by participants in the first workshop in the series, and operationalizes a common understanding of the system.

In addition to generating new insight into the nature of the problem situation, the research has provided a potentially useful tool to planners, managers and researchers in Chennai in the form of a GIS database and decision support system (DSS). Aside from the tool itself , it was found that the process of developing a conceptual model, and attempting to represent this in the DSS has made a significant contribution to understanding of the Cooum system. In particular, this process forced assumptions to be stated explicitly and publically, highlighted areas of uncertainty and led to new understanding in participants’ conception of the problem situation. The program of research also provided a much needed forum for open debate and exchange of information which was removed from the restrictive institutional culture of government departments.

Organizzare la conoscenza con la sequenza di filiazione della Colon Classification di S.R. Ranganathan

by Carlo Bianchini

JLis. Italian Journal of Library and Information Science, Vol. 2, No. 2 (2011),
Supplementary file: http://leo.cilea.it/index.php/jlis/article/downloadSuppFile/4710/153

The paper deals with the issue of the method of arrangement of the results of a opac search. For this reason, the... more The paper deals with the issue of the method of arrangement of the results of a opac search. For this reason, the paper presents the conceptual structure of shelf classified arrangement of documents (filiatory sequence) by Colon Classification.
It shows with examples that filiatory sequence complies with principles provided for bibliographies by Pollard and Krummel, it presents a complete structure of data and relationships provided by actual cataloguing theory, and it manages correctly relationships among a Work and its associated entities (FRBR).
The paper shows that the filiatory sequence expresses a holistic vision of the catalog, creating a complex bibliographic organization that represents with exhaustiveness semantic content, literary relationships, and formal features of the resources. The use of conceptual structure of filiatory sequence in ranking search results is suggested and its relevance for creating new navigating tools is highlighted.

Applied Turing Tests

by Huma Shah

The Turing test is not dead, long live the Turing test!

Formal Emergence

by Camil Cardas

My paper for the Aarhus Summer University course "Emergence, Explanation, and Complexity" - supervisor: Alan Baker (Swarthmore College)

Social networks in (slow) motion. A complexity perspective on network change in the context of educational reform.

by Nienke Moolenaar

This paper highlights the main elements of the research proposal for which I received a Rubicon grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). With this grant, I will be conducting a 2-year study at the University of California, San Diego. The study is aimed at exploring how changes in teachers' social networks support or constrain the implementation of educational reform.

Social networks change over time. In schools, social networks among teachers reflect a web of relationships through... more Social networks change over time. In schools, social networks among teachers reflect a web of relationships through which teachers exchange valuable resources, such as instructional materials, information, knowledge, and social support. Availability of these resources, or a lack thereof, can support or hinder both teachers’ instructional practice and student achievement, especially in times of educational reform (for instance, the implementation of a new reading curriculum). However, empirical knowledge on social network change during educational reform and its association with educational outcomes is limited.

Drawing on complexity theory, and using a mixed method longitudinal design, this study aims to understand how teachers’ social networks change during educational reform and how this network change enhances school improvement in terms of teachers’ instructional practice and student achievement. Understanding the dynamics of social networks in the context of educational reform promises valuable insights for educational theory and practice as these networks may be leveraged to better create, use, and diffuse resources in support of school improvement.

The Fitting Enterprise. A Model of Sustainability and Persistence.

by Peter Bond

This is a working paper which will be presented at the Institute of Small Business and Enterprise conference in November 2011.

The objective for this paper is to introduce a possible new paradigmatic framework for explaining new enterprise... more The objective for this paper is to introduce a possible new paradigmatic framework for explaining new enterprise formation and growth based on complex or nonlinear systems theory. The presence of Persistent Players in local economies exemplifies the concept of the Fitting Enterprise and the social dynamics involved.

Distinguishing a group of enterprises christened Persistent Players is an unanticipated outcome of research at University of Liverpool’s School of Archaeology to investigate the anthropology of enterprising behaviour and its impact on the pace and direction of technological and cultural evolution. Small businesses are a potential subject for research. In the context of conventional enterprise research, Persistent Players are overlooked in favour of new starts and potentially high growth enterprises, and yet, in the many cases found of trading for 40 years and more, they may form the invisible backbone of regional economies and deserve more attention.

This is a qualitative paper of an exploratory nature. Its main task is to introduce a new paradigmatic framework, a synthesis of complex or nonlinear systems theory and concepts from both emergent and established sociological and anthropological theories of technology, networks, product innovation, and cultural transformation. The paper highlights the function of conversation in maintaining social group cohesion at a point of tension between fusion and fission. It is at this point, it is suggested, that conversational networks are near a supracritical and thus unstable state. Persistent Players may maintain this state for generations of managers, but how?.

An Ecological Perspective on Health Promotion Programs

by Kenneth McLeroy

On constructing a research model for historical cognitive linguistics (HCL): Some theoretical considerations

by Roslyn Frank

Full citation reference:

Frank, Roslyn M. & Nathalie Gontier. 2010 "On constructing a research model for historical cognitive linguistics (HCL): Some theoretical considerations." In Winter, M.E., Tissari, H. & Allan, K. (eds). Historical cognitive linguistics, pp. 31-69. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. (Book series: Cognitive Linguistics Research, nr 47)

This paper is the uncorrected proof.

This paper examines how historical cognitive linguistics can benefit methodologically through the application of the... more This paper examines how historical cognitive linguistics can benefit methodologically through the application of the notion of language as a complex adaptive system. The idea that languages are complex adaptive systems (CAS) was introduced initially in computational evolutionary linguistics, a discipline that was and remains inspired by biological, systems theoretical approaches to the evolution of life. Here the way that the CAS approach serves to replace older historical linguistic notions of languages as organisms and languages as species is explained as well as how the CAS approach can be generalized to encompass linguistic domains. Specifically, an overview of the CAS approach and its implementation in linguistics is provided with an emphasis on stigmergic, embodied, usage-based and socio-culturally situated language studies in particular.

Keywords: complex adaptive systems, evolutionary linguistics, historical and computational linguistics, language evolution, stigmergy, social cognitive linguistics, distributed and situated cognition, genes/ memes/linguemes, usage-based models