Thinking in complex systems
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This document discusses socio-technical systems and complex systems thinking for the posthuman era. It covers key aspects of complexity including emergence, self-organization, tipping points, and evolutionary dynamics. Systems thinking involves examining a system from multiple perspectives, understanding interconnections, boundaries, and influences. A posthuman system is described as operating through distributed things-flows rather than enclosed spaces.
Thinking in complex systems
- 1. DESIGN FOR THE POSTHUMAN ERA Eva Durall University Wide Arts Studies Thinking in complex systems
- 2. Image author: Piron Guillaume Image author:Alina Grubnyak Socio-technical systems are systems that exhibit both physical and social complexity. 1. Introduction Image author: Miha Arh Image author: NASA
- 3. “Urgent need for new thinking about the differentiated nature of human influences in complex interactional systems, and about the nature of such systems and agency within them, when new phenomena are conceived in non- anthropocentric ways.” Braidotti & Bignall, 2018 1. Introduction
- 4. 2. The complexity turn Image author: Viktor Dukov Open systems
- 5. The complexity turn in social sciences Recognizing inter-connectedness. Challenging claims on: Linear causalities Regularities Predictability Manageability Image author: Ryoji Iwata 2. The complexity turn
- 6. Image author: Piron Guillaume Image author:Alina Grubnyak Complexity approaches combine system and process thinking (Thrift, 1999). Complex systems analyses investigate how systems adapt and co-evolve as they organize through time. 3. Complex systems Image author: Miha Arh Image author: Boba Jaglicic Image author: NOAA
- 7. 3. Complex systems / Features Emergence Complexity occurs where there are emergent features –a complex system is more than the sum of its parts. Cudworth and Hobden, 2011 Image author: Gian Cescon
- 8. Emergence Large numbers behave differently from small numbers. Resnick, 1997 3. Complex systems / Features Image author: Nong Vang
- 9. Self-organisation Complex systems consist in a network of production processes. Each component of the network takes part in the production or transformation of other components. Image author: Pruthvi Sagar A R 3. Complex systems / Features
- 10. Tipping points Sudden transitions in a system when surpassing a particular threshold. Non-linear dynamics Limited predictability Positive feedback loops Image author: Thomas de LUZE 3. Complex systems / Features
- 11. Evolutionary dynamics Ecological systems are on the edge of chaos without a natural tendency towards equilibrium. The system is in constant change. 3. Complex systems / Features Image author: Markus Spiske
- 12. 4. Systems thinking: Key components COMPONENTS QUESTIONS Multiple perspectives Who/what are the key actors? What are their goals/motivations? What are the different ways in which the situation can be framed? Interconnections How do the different actors interconnect? What is the nature of the relationship among them? What pattern emerge? Boundaries What are the scope and scale you are designing for? Are other boundaries possible/feasible? What constitutes an improvement (and for who/what)? Influences What drives the system in particular directions? Can you identify drivers, trends, enablers, blocks? Which leverage points are you going to focus to leverage change?
- 13. A posthuman system, “operates in an open space throughout which things-flows are distributed, rather than plotting out a closed space for linear and solid things ” Deleuze & Guattari, 1987 5. Final remarks
- 14. Braidotti, R., & Bignall, S. (Eds.). (2018). Posthuman ecologies: Complexity and process after Deleuze. Rowman & Littlefield. Cudworth, E., & Hobden, S. (2011). Posthuman International Relations: Complexity, Ecologism and Global Politics. London and New York: Zed Books. Deleuze, G., & Guattari, F. (1987). A thousand plateaus: Capitalism and schizophrenia. Trans. by Massumi, B.)., University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Luhmann, N. (1995). Social systems. stanford university Press. Maturana, H. R., & Varela, F. (1981). Autopoiesis. Autopoiesis: A theory of living organization, 21-35. Thrift, N. (1999). The place of complexity. Theory, Culture & Society, 16(3), 31-69. Urry, J. (2005). The complexity turn. Theory, culture & society, 22(5), 1-14. 6. References