Systems Thinking, Systems Design
Day 4
Time and place:
- Wednesday, January 31, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
- Bissell 417
4.1 Preparation
For all class participants, spend no more than 2 hours reading from
a selection in each of the clusters. If you don't like what
you're reading, move on!
4.1.1 Cluster 5: Viable System Model
Recommended articles
- Panagiotakopoulos, Panagiotis D., Angela Espinosa, and Jon
Walker. 2016. “Sustainability Management: Insights from the Viable
System Model.” Journal of Cleaner Production 113
(February):792–806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.11.035.
- Espinosa, Angela. 2015. “Governance for Sustainability: Learning
from VSM Practice.” Kybernetes 44 (6/7):955–69. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-02-2015-0043.
- Leonard, Allenna. 2008. Integrating sustainability practices
using the viable system model. Systems Research and
Behavioral Science 25, no. 5: 643-654. http://doi.org/10.1002/sres.937.
- Espinosa, Angela, and J. Walker. 2013. “Complexity Management in
Practice: A Viable System Model Intervention in an Irish
Eco-Community.” European Journal of Operational Research
225 (1):118–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2012.09.015.
- Adams, Denis, and Doug Haynes. 2007. Stafford Beer's
contribution to management science – renewal and development. Kybernetes
36, no. 3: 437-450. http://doi.org/10.1108/03684920710747057.
- Leonard, Allenna. 2006. Walking the Line: Making and Dissolving
Distinctions with the Viable System Model and Team Syntegrity. In
Proceedings of the 50th Annual Meeting of the ISSS.
International Society for the Systems Sciences. http://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings50th/article/viewArticle/307.
- Schwaninger, Markus. 2006. Design for viable organizations. Kybernetes
35, no. 7 (January 1): 955-966. http://doi.org/10.1108/03684920610675012.
- Schwaninger, Markus. 2004. City planning. Kybernetes
33, no. 3 (January 1): 557-576. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03684920410523571.
- Beer, Stafford. 1984. The Viable System Model: Its Provenance,
Development, Methodology and Pathology. The Journal of the
Operational Research Society 35, no. 1 (January): 7-25. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2581927.
Recommended book chapters
Recommended multimedia
4.1.2 Cluster 6: Resilience in
Social-Ecological Systems
Recommended articles
- Bunch, Martin J. 2016. “Ecosystem Approaches to Health and
Well-Being: Navigating Complexity, Promoting Health in
Social–Ecological Systems.” Systems Research and Behavioral
Science 33 (5):614–32. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2429.
- Andersen, Tom, Jacob Carstensen, Emilio Hernández-García, and
Carlos M. Duarte. 2016. “Ecological Thresholds and Regime Shifts:
Approaches to Identification.” Trends in Ecology &
Evolution 24 (1): 49–57. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2008.07.014
- Gunderson, Lance, Ann Kinzig, Allyson Quinlan, and Brian Walker.
2010. Assessing Resilience in Social-Ecological Systems:
Workbook for Practitioners. Version 2.0. Resilience
Alliance. https://www.resalliance.org/resilience-assessment.
- Gunderson, L., E. Universitry, A. Kinzig, C. Folke, S.
Carpenter, and L. Schultz. 2006. A Handful of Heuristics and Some
Propositions for Understanding Resilience in Social-Ecological
Systems. Ecology and Society 11, no. 1: 13. http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol11/iss1/art13/.
- Allen, Timothy F. H., Joseph A. Tainter, and Thomas W. Hoekstra.
1999. “Supply-Side Sustainability.” Systems Research and
Behavioral Science 16 (5):403–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1743(199909/10)16:5<403::AID-SRES335>3.0.CO;2-R.
Recommended book chapters
- Walker, Brian, and David Salt. 2012. Resilience Practice:
Building Capacity to Absorb Disturbance and Maintain Function.
Washington, DC: Island Press. http://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-231-0.
http://go.utlib.ca/cat/8904864,
http://go.utlib.ca/cat/8590168
- Waltner-Toews, David, James (James J. ) Kay, and Nina-Marie E.
Lister. 2008. The Ecosystem Approach: Complexity,
Uncertainty, and Managing for Sustainability. Complexity in
Ecological Systems Series. New York: Columbia University Press. http://go.utlib.ca/cat/6534483
- Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. 2005. Ecosystems and Human
Well-being: General Synthesis. Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment. http://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/Synthesis.aspx.
- Allen, Timothy F. H., Joseph A Tainter, and Thomas W. Hoekstra.
2003. Supply-Side Sustainability. New York: Columbia Univ Press. http://go.utlib.ca/cat/4784349
Recommended multimedia
4.2 Presenter-facilitator Groups 5 and 6
Prepare slides or materials to lead the class, with suggested
content as:
- How is the approach used (in one or two example system(s), close
to your research interests)?
- What are the basics of the approach?
- Why would you use (or not use) this approach (over another
approach)?
- When and where would you use (or not use) this approach?
- Which points about the approach are unclear, and would benefit
from deeper inquiry?
If you have questions, you can consult with the instructor!
4.3 Classroom activities
| 1:00 - 1:15 |
Discussion on blogs from the previous
class |
| 1:15 - 2:15 |
Group 5 presents and facilitates discussion on Viable System
Model |
| 2:15 - 2:30 |
Instructor fills in on ambiguities |
| 2:30 - 2:45 |
Break |
| 2:45 - 3:45 |
Group 6 presents and facilitates discussion on Resilience in
Social-Ecological Systems |
| 3:45 - 4:00 |
Instructor fills in on ambiguities |
4.4 Assignments
- Write an personal appreciation diary log as a blog post, trying
to spend no more than 45 minutes.
- Which 2 or 3 system ideas from today are resonating to change
the way you think (and which ones might remain a mystery)?
- Why are those systems ideas significant in your research, your
work and/or your life?
- Where could you see applying (or avoiding) using these systems
approaches?
- Include 2 or 3 references at the end of your blog post, and
use a proper citation style.
- Post a notification on the Google+ Systems Sciences Community, or
on a Blackboard Discussion Board thread.
- The deadline for posting is the Monday morning, 9 a.m.,
February 5