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This volume offers comprehensive treatment of the latest
developments in critical systems thinking and practice. The book
features contributions by researchers at the prestigious Centre for
Systems Studies at the University of Hull, England. The emphasis is
on rigorous analysis of the wide range of approaches to problem
solving reported in the research literature. This work will enhance
the studies of researchers and students in the areas of systems
problem solving, action research, management science, and
operational research.
Contemporary Systems Thinking is a series of texts, each of which
deals comparatively and/or critically with different aspects of
holistic thinking at the frontiers of the discipline.
Traditionally, writings by systems thinkers have been concerned
with single theme propositions such as General Systems Theory,
Cybernetics, Operations Research, System Dynamics, Soft Systems
Methodology and many others. Recently there have been attempts to
fulfil a different yet equally important role by comparative
analyses of viewpoints and approaches, each addressing disparate
areas of study such as: modeling and simulation, measurement,
management, 'problem solving' methods, international relations,
social theory and last, but not exhaustively or least, philosophy.
In a recent book these were drawn together within a multiform
framework as part of an eclectic discussion -a nearly impossible
task as I discovered (see Dealing With Complexity -An Introduction
to the Theory and Application of Systems Science, R. L. Flood and
E. R. Carson, Plenum, New York, 1988). Nevertheless, bringing many
sources together led to several achievements, among which was
showing a great diversity of approaches, ideas and application
areas that systems thinking contributes to (although often with
difficulties remaining unresolved). More important, however, while
working on that manuscript I became aware of the need for and
potential value in a series of books, each focusing in detail on
the study areas mentioned above.
The theme ofthe conference at which the papers in this book were
presented was'Systems Thinking in Europe'. Members of the United
Kingdom Systems Society (UKSS) were conscious that the systems
movementflourishes notonly in the UK, America and the Antipodes,
but also in continental Europe, both East and West, and in the
USSR, a nation increasingly being welcomed by the European comity.
Membership of the UKSS had not perhaps had the opportunity,
however, of hearing important new ideas from continental Europe,
and this conference provided an opportunity to do so. Some
interesting papers are to be found here from both the West and the
East, if the editors may be forgiven for perpetuating what may be
an increasingly irrelevant dichotomy. One lesson to be learned from
this conference, though, is that systems thinking is truly
international. This is not to say that there is one systems
paradigm unifonnly applied, however. Perhaps the core of systems
thinking is that one is interested in complex 'wholes' with
emergent properties, to which cybernetic ideas can be applied.
Examples of such systems thinking can be found in these
proceedings, for example in the section entitled "Applications of
Systems Thinking." Attempts to bring about change with these ideas,
however, have given rise to a diversity of approaches, as is
evidenced by the papers dealing with the application of
methodologies in the 'hard' and 'soft' systems traditions.
Systems Prospects is a record of the papers presented at the first
con ference organised by the United Kingdom Systems Society (UKSS),
held at Thwaite Hall, Hull University (UK), on the dates 12th-15th
July, 1988. The UKSS originally came together in 1978 as the
Barford Group (the first meetings were held in the town of
Barford), comprising academics from the four institutions that
incorporated departments which primarily were con cerned with
developing the theory and practice of so-called systems scienc-
namely Aston University, City University, Lancaster University and
the Open University. The meetings of the Barford Group were deemed
to be successful, so much so that a decision was made to widen its
horizons to incorporate more generally those of the United Kingdom
systems community (a diffuse number of academics and practitioners)
- hence the title UKSS. The society, ten years later, is extant and
has achieved new levels of success in the last few years in terms
of rising membership and international reputation. The membership
is now drawn from a wide variety of academic and commercial and
industrial organisations, and from most reaches of the nation.
There is also an international contingent in the membership. It is
right that there should be such diversity since the UKSS is founded
on the notion of equality (of creed, sex, race, class and so on ***
). This community is "glued" together by the Society's own
publication, Systemist, as well as through workshops and now this
conference.
Contents 11. 2. 2. Four Main Areas of Dispute 247 11. 2. 3. Summary
. . . 248 11. 3. Making Sense of the Issues . . 248 11. 3. 1.
Introduction . . . . 248 11. 3. 2. The Scientific Approach 248 11.
3. 3. Science and Matters of Society . 249 11. 3. 4. Summary . 251
11. 4. Tying It All Together . . . . 251 11. 4. 1. Introduction . .
. . 251 11. 4. 2. A Unifying Framework 251 11. 4. 3. Critical
Systems Thinking 253 11. 4. 4. Summary 254 11. 5. Conclusion 254
Questions . . . 255 REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 257 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 Chapter
One SYSTEMS Origin and Evolution, Terms and Concepts 1. 1.
INTRODUCTION We start this book with Theme A (see Figure P. I in
the Preface), which aims to develop an essential and fundamental
understanding of systems science. So, what is systems science? When
asked to explain what systems science is all about, many systems
scientists are confronted with a rather daunting task. The
discipline tends to be presented and understood in a fragmented way
and very few people hold an overview understanding of the subject
matter, while also having sufficient in-depth competence in many
and broad-ranging subject areas where the ideas are used. Indeed,
it was precisely this difficulty that identified the need for a
comprehensive well-documented account such as is presented here in
Dealing with Complexity.
This volume offers comprehensive treatment of the latest
developments in critical systems thinking and practice. The book
features contributions by researchers at the prestigious Centre for
Systems Studies at the University of Hull, England. The emphasis is
on rigorous analysis of the wide range of approaches to problem
solving reported in the research literature. This work will enhance
the studies of researchers and students in the areas of systems
problem solving, action research, management science, and
operational research.
Contents 11. 2. 2. Four Main Areas of Dispute 247 11. 2. 3. Summary
. . . 248 11. 3. Making Sense of the Issues . . 248 11. 3. 1.
Introduction . . . . 248 11. 3. 2. The Scientific Approach 248 11.
3. 3. Science and Matters of Society . 249 11. 3. 4. Summary . 251
11. 4. Tying It All Together . . . . 251 11. 4. 1. Introduction . .
. . 251 11. 4. 2. A Unifying Framework 251 11. 4. 3. Critical
Systems Thinking 253 11. 4. 4. Summary 254 11. 5. Conclusion 254
Questions . . . 255 REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 257 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 Chapter
One SYSTEMS Origin and Evolution, Terms and Concepts 1. 1.
INTRODUCTION We start this book with Theme A (see Figure P. I in
the Preface), which aims to develop an essential and fundamental
understanding of systems science. So, what is systems science? When
asked to explain what systems science is all about, many systems
scientists are confronted with a rather daunting task. The
discipline tends to be presented and understood in a fragmented way
and very few people hold an overview understanding of the subject
matter, while also having sufficient in-depth competence in many
and broad-ranging subject areas where the ideas are used. Indeed,
it was precisely this difficulty that identified the need for a
comprehensive well-documented account such as is presented here in
Dealing with Complexity.
Contemporary Systems Thinking is a series of texts, each of which
deals comparatively and/or critically with different aspects of
holistic thinking at the frontiers of the discipline.
Traditionally, writings by systems thinkers have been concerned
with single theme propositions such as General Systems Theory,
Cybernetics, Operations Research, System Dynamics, Soft Systems
Methodology and many others. Recently there have been attempts to
fulfil a different yet equally important role by comparative
analyses of viewpoints and approaches, each addressing disparate
areas of study such as: modeling and simulation, measurement,
management, 'problem solving' methods, international relations,
social theory and last, but not exhaustively or least, philosophy.
In a recent book these were drawn together within a multiform
framework as part of an eclectic discussion -a nearly impossible
task as I discovered (see Dealing With Complexity -An Introduction
to the Theory and Application of Systems Science, R. L. Flood and
E. R. Carson, Plenum, New York, 1988). Nevertheless, bringing many
sources together led to several achievements, among which was
showing a great diversity of approaches, ideas and application
areas that systems thinking contributes to (although often with
difficulties remaining unresolved). More important, however, while
working on that manuscript I became aware of the need for and
potential value in a series of books, each focusing in detail on
the study areas mentioned above.
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