A Seven-Step Primer on Soft Systems Methodology

I'm currently TAing for CSC2720H Systems Thinking for Global Problems, a graduate-level course on systems thinking. In class today we talked about soft systems thinking (SSM), an approach which uses systems thinking to tackle what are called "wicked problems". I thought I'd outline one approach to SSM, as it's useful to CS education research.


Step 1: Identify the domain of interest

Before you can research something, you should first decide what your domain is. What topic? What system are you studying? For example, "teaching computer science" could be your starting point, as could "climate change".

Chances are you're looking at a wicked problem. Conklin's definition of wicked problems are that:

1. The problem is not understood until after the formulation of a solution.
2. Wicked problems have no stopping rule.
3. Solutions to wicked problems are not right or wrong.
4. Every wicked problem is essentially novel and unique.
5. Every solution to a wicked problem is a 'one shot operation.'
6. Wicked problems have no given alternative solutions.

Because you're looking at a domain which doesn't have a clear definition or boundaries, you'll first want to immerse yourself in the domain. One trick is to draw "rich pictures", which are essentially visualized streams of consciousness.

You should also think about what perspectives you bring into this domain. What biases and privileges do you have going into this? Why are you interested in this domain? What do you have to gain or lose here?

A quick and dirty introduction to Bourdieu for systems thinkers

I've been on a Bourdieu kick for the course I'm currently taking on social theory (LHA 1803Y: Theory in Higher Education), and since Steve Easterbrook mentioned he wasn't familiar with Bourdieu, I figured I'd write a quick and dirty introduction to Bourdieu's social theories. Steve's a systems thinker so this is written for such an audience.

In systems thinking we like to think of people as existing in many (overlapping) social systems (because, after all, pretty much everything to a systems thinker is a system.) These social systems can be things like school, work, a professional community, or even your favourite internet community.

Bourdieu would call those systems fields. (Specifically, a field is a system of social positions, with internal structure.) In his terminology, the rules determining the system/fields are known as nomos. (Fields are not the same as class, which I'll get to later.) When people in fields 'play by the rules' of the system, and invest in it, he calls this illusio.

If you're wondering if he also has paradigms in his systems, the answer is yes! He calls them doxa, the concepts and ideas which go without saying as it comes without saying -- "the universe of possible discourse".