Reframing Complexity

Reframing Complexity
Author: Fritjof Capra
Publisher: Exploring Complexity
Total Pages: 292
Release: 2007
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

Havana's Instituto de Filosofia's First Biennial International Seminar on the Philosophical, Epistemological and Methodological Implications of Complexity Theory, was held in January 2002 in Havana, Cuba's capital city. The seminar was aimed at familiarizing Cuban researchers and professors in a more direct way with some of the current trends - and widespread scope - of the expanding field of complexity thinking, affording them the possibility of personal contacts with some of the people engaged in that effort. The seminar was attended by specialists from fifteen countries, ranging from Chile to Australia along the West-East axis, and from Norway to South Africa along the North-South one. There were participants from developed and underdeveloped countries. This book contains selected papers from the 'Complexity 2002' seminar, edited by Fritjof Capra (author of 'The Tao of Physics', 'The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems' and 'The Hidden Connections: A Science for Sustainable Living'), Alicia Juarrero (author of 'Dynamics in Action'), Pedro Sotolong, and Jacco van Uden (author of 'Complexity and Organization'). The papers have been organized in four parts: I. Sources of Complexity: Science and Information; II. Philosophical, Epistemological and Methodological implications; III. Organizational Implications; IV. Global and Ethical Implications. The papers in Part I can be said to approach the phenomenon of complexity at a very basic level. Here the issues being addressed revolve around the very fundamental question of why the complexity sciences are so important: What are the most fundamental lessons to be learned from studying complex systems? Papers included in Part II engage in a broader, philosophical investigation of some of the most general ontological, epistemological and methodological implications of the complexity approach, showing how very old questions are currently being reformulated and/or reinterpreted in the light of complexity thinking. Papers that appear in Part III address various important issues about the links between complexity and social, organizational, business and management questions. Finally, Papers in Part IV return once again to more global implications of Complexity thinking, this time dealing with Ethical and Globalization issues of contemporary world.

Complexity Thinking in Physical Education

Complexity Thinking in Physical Education
Author: Alan Ovens
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2013
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0415507219

This title focuses on complexity thinking in the context of physical education, enabling fresh ways of thinking about research, teaching, curriculum and learning. Written by a team of leading international physical education scholars, the book highlights how the considerable theoretical promise of complexity can be reflected in the actual policies, pedagogies and practices of physical education.

Generative Complexity in a Complex Generative World

Generative Complexity in a Complex Generative World
Author: Ton Jörg
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 133
Release: 2021-11-12
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3030904091

This book introduces a refreshing approach to twenty-first-century scientific approach in an age, which is also known as the Century of Complexity. It deals with the deep problem of complexity, being operative from the bottom-up. The current lack of understanding of complexity has led scholars into the so-called embarrassment of complexity. A long overdue paradigm shift is necessary to address complexity as generative complexity and brings readers to the edge of a scientific revolution: that is, a generative revolution in the Century of Complexity. The book offers a radical shift of paradigm from the paradigm of simplifying into the new generative paradigm of complexifying about processes that develop from the bottom-up. The book links complex generative reality with a corresponding radical new generative nature of order and explores new fronts in science. This book explores innovative concepts of interaction, of causality, of the unit of study, and of reality itself and enables readers to see complexity as generative, emergent complexity as being operative from the bottom-up. The book discusses and suggests solutions for the problem of complexity in this Century of Complexity. The author provides a new understanding of complexity based on a generative flux of forces and relations. The book aims to bring about a fundamental and foundational change in how we view and ‘do’ science for an interdisciplinary audience of academics ranging from social science and humanities to economy and biology.

A Complexity Theory for Public Policy

A Complexity Theory for Public Policy
Author: Göktuğ Morçöl
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 314
Release: 2013-05-02
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1136283463

Complexity theory has become popular in the natural and social sciences over the last few decades as a result of the advancements in our understanding of the complexities in natural and social phenomena. Concepts and methods of complexity theory have been applied by scholars of public affairs in North America and Europe, but a comprehensive framework for these applications is lacking. A Complexity Theory for Public Policy proposes a conceptual synthesis and sets a foundation for future developments and applications. In this book, Göktuğ Morçöl convincingly makes the case that complexity theory can help us understand better the self-organizational, emergent, and co-evolutionary characteristics of complex policy systems. In doing so, he discuss the epistemological implications of complexity theory and the methods complexity researchers use, and those methods they could use. As the complexity studies spread more around the world in the coming decades, the contents of this book will become appealing to larger audiences, particularly to scholars and graduate students in public affairs. The unique combination of synthesis and explanation of concepts and methods found in this book will serve as reference frames for future works.

Reframing

Reframing
Author: Donald Capps
Publisher: Fortress Press
Total Pages: 212
Release: 1990-01-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781451416244

"I have read Professor Capp's Reframing with great interest. Since my colleagues and I have long thought of our concepts and practices as broad and general?as potentially applicable beyond our clinical sphere of psychotherapy?it is very satisfying to see this solid and skillful extension of our work into the very wide and important field of pastoral care."? John H. Weakland, Brief Therapy Center Mental Research Institute, Palo Alto, California

Complexity, Organizations and Change

Complexity, Organizations and Change
Author: Elizabeth McMillan
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 412
Release: 2003-12-18
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1134379854

Complexity science has seriously challenged long-held views in the scientific community about how the world works. These ideas, particularly about the living world, also have radical and profound implications for organizations and society as a whole. Available in paperback for the first time, this insightful book describes and considers ideas from

Chaos And Complexity

Chaos And Complexity
Author: Michael R. Butz
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 312
Release: 1997-09-29
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9781560324188

The nature of this book is to emphasize the inherent complexity and richness of the human experience of change. Now, the author believes there to be an acceptable "scientific" explanation for this phenomona. Explored here are 30 years of studies to describe nonlinear dynamics, today termed either chaos theory or complexity theory. The connotations of both theories are discussed at length. Offering social scientists validation in their attempts to describe and define phenomona of a previously ineffable nature, this book explores chaos' implications for psychology and the social sciences. It describes the benefits psychology can glean from using ideas in chaos theory and applying them to psychology in general, individual psycho-therapy, couples therapy, and community psychology, and also considers possible directions for research and application.

Managing Complex Change in School

Managing Complex Change in School
Author: Alejandro Salcedo Garcia
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2014-06-05
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1317803736

Leading and managing change in schools is a complex topic. In this timely book the authors take the reader through a journey of how to lead and manage multidimensional change in order to create engaged learners, teachers, leaders and managers. They provide a readable and straightforward account of a major, high-profile innovation in one school and draw from it key lessons for leaders and managers of change in schools. Managing Complex Change in School synthesizes a wealth of literature and research on managing change, and shows how the emerging field of complexity theory can inform the effective management of multidimensional change. Arising from an in-depth, mixed methods evaluation of the key school, this book is practice-focused and is an invaluable companion for practitioners handling positive change in schools.

Organizing Innovation

Organizing Innovation
Author: Marcel Veenswijk
Publisher: IOS Press
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2006
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1586035789

New Public Management as an administrative reform ideology as well as conceptual innovation has changed the outlook of public administration during the last ten years. Public administration and public administration reform should not only be concerned with the improvement of the efficiency and coherence which play an important role in public administration, but also political values like liberty, equity and security as well as legal values like the rule of the law. The modernization agenda of public administration has a rather internal focus, while the ultimate test for the modernization of public administration is the way in which governments are able to respond to changing social, cultural and economic conditions and the wicked policy problems which result from them. This publication contains interesting contributions to the science and practice of public administration.

Re-framing Regional Development

Re-framing Regional Development
Author: Philip Cooke
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 394
Release: 2013-01-17
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1136223037

Turbulence characterises the current global scene. This book uses complementary theoretical approaches to understand and help prescribe policies to ‘re-frame’ the regional development problem in turbulent times. These approaches are: evolutionary complexity; evolutionary economic geography; emergence theory; and resilience theory. From below, they address the four major crises creating a ‘perfect storm’ for societies and economics involving: the climate change crisis; the energy crisis; the banking and financial crisis; and the global economic crisis. This book analyses and proposes ways in which regional economies, in particular, are having to be ‘reframed’ to address these crises. First, many must evolve in new ways, possibly moving back from the ‘service economy’ towards a new, greener form of manufacturing of goods as well as services. Accordingly, regional economies are innovating in new ways. Amongst these are the quest for ‘relatedness’ within their own regional orbits, and promoting ‘modularity’ as a mode of analysis and a policy stance to stimulate innovation across industry and geographical borders. Finally, regional economies and societies are discovering that, from a ‘resilience’ perspective, they must find answers to the higher levels of governance with which they increasingly struggle. In this respect regional economies are in ‘transition’ and regional processes are ‘emergent’. The transition seeks to address the four crises, involving re-balancing, re-directing and re-framing future policy and practice. This book describes many of the novel ‘framings’ involved in understanding the new ways in which this major task is being addressed in theory, policy and everyday practice.