System Theory

Permaculture design is a concept that aims at transforming not only agriculture, but also city planning, architecture, development, etc. In short it aims to change human habitats. It is part of a new ecological paradigm that is currently spreading in popularity from the urban gardening movement to various other alternative movements such as the slow movement, sustainable architecture, etc. Permaculture design defines itself as building on systems theory (as formulated in particular by Howard Thomas Odum and Christopher Alexander). However I would like to propose that the afterlife of systems theory as expressed in the concept of permaculture, first developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, should not only be sought in theoretical and analytical discourse. Instead we can understand permaculture as a form of figurative, ecological reasoning; a form of radical imagination drawn from the composite knowledge of a heterogeneous network of actors. Permaculture is thus neither a branch...

ABSTRACT. Systems theory has been extensively used by social work practitioners to conceptualize an array of social and psychological problems at the level of clinical practice. Systems theory is complex and this complexity is believed to be advantageous for investigating the roots ...

Dynamic systems theories, such as complexity and nonlinear dynamic systems theories, provide increased flexibility in approaching psychological phenomena with a less rigid, more fluid sensibility. They provide us with process language that moves away from linear directionality in construing psychoanalytic action in favor of a sensibility of emergence. This paper situates the concept of mirroring within the realms of systems

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to propose a quantitative approach for assessing the qualitative nature of organizational vision.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses grey systems method to rank and evaluate the vision of five top‐ranked universities.FindingsIt is shown in the literature that qualitative consideration of organizational vision can be quantified using a mathematical method. This method can be used as a decision‐making tool where the judgments of the decision maker are not exact.Originality/valueThis study expresses the qualitative nature of organizational vision into a quantified shape. It does it through a mathematical method called “grey systems theory”. Moreover, it seems that the application of grey systems theory to the business context has rarely been examined.

This essay is a selective review of Systems: New Paradigms for the Human Sciences, edited by Gabriel Altmann and Walter A. Koch (Berlin: Walter de Gryter, 1998). It is selective because it is impossible to engage such a varied collection of systems-theoretic essays in a review ...

PR systems often are credited with producing more equitable outcomes between political parties and encouraging wider social group representation than majoritarian systems. Theory suggests that this should instill greater trust, efficacy, and faith in the political system. We assume that citizens disadvantaged by majoritarian rules (political minorities) will have a relatively greater shift toward positive attitudes about democracy following a

Reservoir Computing is a recent pattern recognition tech- nique that combines temporal processing capabilities with fast learning rates and excellent convergence properties. The system consists of two parts: a recurrently connected network of simple nodes (e.g. neurons) called the reservoir, and a so-called readout function which can be any tra- ditional statistical technique and which computes the actual output. The choice of the node with which we build the reservoir is very broad, and in this case we use stochastich bitstream neurons. Classical sigmoidal neurons perform a weighted sum of their inputs, followed by a non-linearity. This uses a lot of additions and multiplications, which is not hardware efficient at all. Stochastic bitstream neurons circumvent this problem by communi- cating through stochastic bitstreams instead of analog values, which trans- forms additions and multiplications to simple bitwise operations, thus al- lowing an efficient hardware implementation. For t...

We researchers say that we study early childhood education. What do we actually study? Hereby I now focus on the concept of early childhood education. Concept analysis produces new information on the phenomenon that we the researchers of early childhood education and lecturers love so much. But what do we actually love? In this article I will analyze the concept of early childhood education and propose a new systems theory based definition of early childhood education. For reference I will use a few Finnish early childhood education textbooks and articles with different definitions of the concept of early childhood education. The authors are Finnish early childhood education experts. Their views are based on the international theoretical cornerstones. This article is based on my scientific research (Härkönen, 2002a). Methodologically I have advanced by presenting exact quotations from their texts and have processed their early childhood education concepts into models (Checkland, 198...

The current article provides an overview of studies examining the developmental signifi cance of extracurricular activities in middle childhood. We describe the main theoretical frameworks (ecological systems theory and positive youth development approach) that have guided the research on the role of extracurricular activities in the development of children. Then, we explore why children choose certain extracurricular activities and examine whether participation in these activities is related to variation in children’s adjustment. We highlight fi ndings produced within the European context. In particular, we describe the Integrated School Day program implemented by researchers from the University of Jyvaskyla (Finland), and summarize how extracurricular activities organized as part of the program benefi tted the socioemotional development and school achievement of the children involved. On the whole, evidence presented in this paper underscores the signifi cance of extracurricular a...

RESUMO: O presente artigo busca analisar a questão da flexibilidade do direito tomando como exemplo a construção de um direito autônomo no âmbito do ciberespaço. De início, defende-se o reconhecimento da lex digitalis como direito positivo válido a partir dos pressupostos da teoria dos sistemas. Posteriormente, especifica-se a análise à construção jurídica de uma organização central no âmbito digital, a ICANN. Por fim, desenvolve-se conceitos da teoria dos sistemas afim de entender como é possível a flexibilização do sistema autopoiético do direito.

A análise do sistema jurídico vem sofrendo inúmeras transformações desde a intensificação do processo de globalização, sendo a realidade do ambiente do direito a sociedade mundial funcionalmente diferenciada. Percebe-se, nesse contexto, que teorias que centram suas análises na produção e legitimação estatais do direito não conseguem lidar com os conflitos entre ordem jurídicas e entre ordens jurídicas e não jurídicas. A epistemologia construtivista da teoria dos sistemas mostra a realidade jurídica como uma construção constante do subsistema do direito intencionada à redução da complexidade social a partir do meio de comunicação " direito ". Nessa perspectiva, verifica-se um processo de fragmentação jurídica diante da multiculturalidade do social (pluralismo jurídico), o que é intensificado na globalização pela atuação no direito de inúmeros atores que não o Estado-nação, como empresas multinacionais e organizações não governamentais. A lex digitalis, nesse sentido, é eminentemente um fenômeno característico do global, um direito produzido em estrita relação com um âmbito parcial da sociedade global, o ciberespaço. Afirma-se, então, que as mudanças que ocorrem nos níveis da estrutura e das operações do direito, que podem ser vistas como flexibilizações do sistema, são necessárias à evolução e adaptação do mesmo.

This paper introduces Deleuze’s philosophy of becoming in a system theoretic framework and proposes an alternative ontological foundation to the study of systems and complex systems in particular. A brief critique of systems theory and the difficulties apparent in it is proposed as an introduction to the discussion. Following is an overview aimed at providing access to the ‘big picture’ of Deleuze’s revolutionary philosophical system with emphasis on a system theoretic approach and terminology. The major concepts of Deleuze’s ontology—difference, virtuality, multiplicity, assemblages, quasi-causation, becoming (individuation), intensity and progressive determination are introduced and discussed. Deleuze’s work is a radical departure from the dogma of western philosophy that guides the foundations of science and systems theory. It replaces identity with difference and being with becoming; in other words, it provides systems theory with an ontological ground based on change, heterogeneity and the inexhaustible novelty-producing process that underlies all phenomena. The conceptual tools made available by this philosophy seem to capture the fundamental aspects of complexity and complex systems much better than the current conceptual system that is based on static transcendent ontological entities.

This article reviews attachment theory, family systems theory, and intergenerational family systems theory as the backdrop to the research presented. This study examined the relationships among constructs of attachment and intergenerational family systems theories. Data from 153 adults were utilized to examine (a) the relationships between personal authority in the family systems (PAFS) and avoidance and anxiety and (b) the difference in PAFS scores between attachment styles. Results showed that (a) spousal intimacy significantly predicted partners' avoidance and (b) spousal intimacy, nuclear family triangulation, and personal authority significantly predicted partners' anxiety. Secure individuals scored higher than did insecure individuals in 7 out of 8 PAFS scales. Correct classification rate into secure and insecure types based on PAFS scores was 73%. Results indicated both convergence and divergence features between the two theories.

This paper introduces Deleuze’s philosophy of becoming in system theoretic terms and proposes an alternative ontological foundation to the study of systems and complex systems in particular. A brief critique of system theory and difficulties apparent in it is proposed as an initial motivation to the discussion. Following is an overview aiming to provide an access to the ‘big picture’ of Deleuze’s revolutionary philosophical system with emphasize on a system theoretic approach and terminology. The major concepts of Deleuze’s ontology - difference, virtuality, multiplicity, assemblages, quasi-causation, becoming (individuation), intensity and progressive determination are introduced and discussed in some length. Deleuze’s work is a radical departure from the dogma of western philosophy that also guides the foundations of science and system theory. It replaces identity with difference and being with becoming, in other words, it provides system theory with an ontological ground based on change, heterogeneity and inexhaustible novelty-producing process that underlies all phenomena. The conceptual tools made available by this philosophy seem to capture the fundamental aspects of complexity and complex systems much better than the current conceptual system that is based on static transcendental ontological entities.

Barber’s theory writing expressed his vocation. For him theory-user-friendliness, academic-sociological-openness, and scientific-empirical-insightful-encouragement seem to have been synonyms. Hence, there is a hypothesis implicit to this memoire that should be tested by a full assesssment of Barber’s academic contribution, perhaps by a doctoral dissertation. It is this: Bernard Barber has continued to contribute sociological theory in the way he began (before his courage students to scientifically reflect upon the “paradigmatic” theory enunciated by Parsons (and Merton), how it bad developed, and how it could he made more fruitful. This was also a special “field of study” which gave ongoing stimulus to his studies in the sociology of science and, finally to his late-in-career exposition of his social system theory. This would have to be confirmed by a careful study of all his works, based upon what he wrote, the accounts of those who knew him, and of those who have studied his work as students and colleagues. It would also involve analysis of the work of his students, colleagues, and collaborators.

We researchers say that we study early childhood education. What do we actually study? Hereby I now focus on the concept of early childhood education. Concept analysis produces new information on the phenomenon that we the researchers of early childhood ...