Robert Woog

From Complexity Concepts to Creative Applications

A complexity cosmography is introduced as construing a world that is self-organizing, dynamic, and emergent, and that comprises organic entities that too are self-organizing, dynamic, and emergent. Following critical reflection into the nature of utilising complexity in social inquiry, specific images, vocabularies and complexity-based methods and techniques as developed by the authors are introduced.

Trust and Goodwill as Attractors: Reflecting on a Complexity-Informed Inquiry

This article discusses a complexity-informed review and evaluation project. Complexity-informed methods and techniques are used to fashion understanding of the relationships and processes implicated between the service agencies constituting the Youth Accommodation Interagency—Nepean (YAIN) and their Resource Worker, the influence of these relationships and processes on the achievement of desired and required goals, and the potential for replication of these relationships and processes elsewhere. The article concludes with critical reflection regarding what was learnt from utilizing complexity in this qualitative inquiry.

Fuzzy Logic as an Evocative Framework for Studying Social Systems

This study is about the fuzzy and unpredictable nature of social life. Two themes are developed. The first describes and critiques a methodological approach to social systems intervention for improvement. The second theme comprises a propositional questioning about the nature of social systems from a fuzzy logic framework. The crucial role of fuzzy logic is demonstrated in such fields of social inquiry as conversation mapping, heuristic pattern formation, emergence of meaning, multy-layered interpretation, study of temporality and non-foundational thinking.

Utilizing Complexity for Epistemological Development

Complexity, in conceptualizing life as self-organizing, dynamic, and emergent, offers evocative metaphors for making sense that are not bound to linearity or certainty. We utilize complexity as a conceptual framework in teaching related to various aspects of the humanities and social sciences (business, organization, and management studies, ethics, social and political change, health, spirituality). In this article, we reflect on our use of complexity in addressing the teaching challenge inherent in encouraging complex epistemic cognition: thinking about thinking through a complexity framework.

Living on the Edge: A Complexity-Informed Exploration of the Human–Water Relationship

Humanity and water represent an intersection of two natural cycles: the human economy and the earths hydrological system. Although water is vital for human survival and growth, the point where human endeavor intersects is the most variable and uncertain in the hydrological system. Significant spatial and temporal variation of evaporation and rainfall has led to a number of responses aimed at increasing certainty of access to water. However, many of the worlds civilizations can attest that the very act of reducing water uncertainty by technical means (capture, storage, and irrigation) has ultimately led to greater uncertainty and civilization failure. This article explores the concept of living with water as a complex entity, inseparably connected with all three levels of existential complexity—individual, social, and ecological—rather than as a commodity, which has led to our current uncertain status.

Fuzziology in search of insights for understanding global economy

According to a publication in “Le Monde Diplomatique” [1], Marcos — the leader of the world-widely supported Zapatista movement in Mexico — was the first to construct a theory linking economic globalization to the marginalization of a great majority of the world population.