| This course examines complex adaptive systems theory and its ability to illuminate a) the operation of social processes at a variety of levels (micro, meso/institutional, macro), b) the mechanisms interconnecting those levels and the resulting ability to c) explicate both stability and change (either gradual or dramatic). Particular attention will be paid to a variety of system characteristics (e.g., complexity, coupling, etc.) and the implications of these characteristics for the resilience and sustainability of the system. Substantively, the course will apply the ideas to a variety of different systems. Possibilities include: marriage and the family; technological systems such as nuclear plants, climate change, and social revolutions. Students will be expected to apply the theoretical ideas to a substantive area of their choosing. This course is suitable for graduate level students in a variety of disciplines and an active attempt will be made to recruit students from other disciplines (e.g. Psychology, Forestry & Environmental Mgt., Biology). |
