Systems Practice: How to Act in a Climate-Change World

Systems Practice: How to Act in a Climate-Change World

It is now accepted that humans are changing the climate of the Earth and this is the most compelling amongst a long litany of reasons as to why, collectively, we have to change our ways of thinking and acting. Most people now recognise that we have to be capable of adapting quickly as new and uncertain circumstances emerge: this capability will need to exist at personal, group, community, regional, national and international levels, all at the same time.

Systems Practice is structured into four parts. Part I introduces the societal need to move towards a more systemic and adaptive governance against the backdrop of human-induced climate change. Part II unpacks what is involved in systems practice by means of a juggler metaphor; examining situations where systems thinking offers useful understanding and opportunities for change. Part III identifies the main factors that constrain the uptake of systems practice and makes the case for innovation in practice by means of systemic inquiry, systemic action research and systemic intervention. The book concludes with Part IV, which critically examines how systems practice is, or might be, utilised at different levels from the personal to the societal.

The development of our capabilities to think and act systemically is an urgent priority and Systems Practice aims to show how to do systems thinking and translate that thinking into praxis (theory informed practical action) which will be welcomed by those managing in situations of complexity and uncertainty across all domains of professional and personal concern.

Ray Ison, in 1994 aged 42, became only the third person to hold the Chair in Systems which was created at the Open University (UK) in 1972. Ray is an experienced researcher, teacher, author, facilitator and consultant with an established international reputation. His current research and scholarship elucidates, through empirical, theoretical and systemic-design research how social learning could be employed as an established international reputation. His current research and scholarship elucidates, through empirical, theoretical and systemic-design research how social learning could be employed as an alternative governance mechanism for managing in complex situations, particularly water catchments and other multiple stakeholder settings. Since August 2008 he has held a joint appointment at the Open University (UK) and within the Monash Sustainability Institute in Melbourne, Australia, where he is Professor, Systems for Sustainability.