The Four Waves of Systems Thinking
www.scienceopen.com

This Handbook is about the past, present, and future of systems thinking. It captures the history of systems thinking over its first three ‘waves,’ which are thought of as significant paradigmatic time periods in the history of the field. It then introduces a (possible) emerging fourth wave. Herein, we review the first three waves, as they have been written about in depth before, and dedicate more space to describing the fourth wave, as this is likely to be new to many readers. We cover all four waves as an entree to the many chapters, which were both recommended by an International Advisory Board (listed and thanked in the front material of this book), and written by esteemed invited authors. These chapters aptly describe the various frameworks that characterize the different waves; and notably include how those frameworks have continued to evolve since their origin.

This paper is an excellent overview of the history of systems thinking from mid 20th century onward. It covers 4 waves of systems thinking, and DSRP.

The four waves, roughly summarised are:

  • First wave: systems as real-world things - system dynamics, physical science focus
  • Second wave: systems as mental models - this wave was more social-science driven
  • Third wave: critical systems thinking - bringing critical theory to systems thinking, focused on critique of boundary definitions, and on power in relationships
  • Fourth wave: universalisation - trying to pull all the threads together from diverse approaches (this wave is starting, may not happen)

The authors suggest that DSRP is a potential core framework for the fourth wave. DSRP summarised:

  • 4 structures, each made of 2 elements, mutually defining
    • A Distinction (D) is defined as identity (i) co-implying an other (o)
    • A System (S) is defined as part (p) co-implying a whole (w)
    • A Relationship ® is defined as action (a) co-implying a reaction ®
    • A Perspective (P) is defined as point (ṗ) co-implying a view (v)
    • My understanding is that the first two structures both define the boundaries of the system as a whole, and of the individual components of a system (e.g. actors).
    • DSRP kind of assumes that all system components are also entire systems within themselves (e.g. humans are actors in a social system, but a human is also a system of cells, etc.)
  • M = I ⊗ T
    • a mental model (M) is the complex product (⊗) of information (I) and DSRP simple structural rules of thinking (T) (listed above)
  • Four levels of depth of abstraction:
    • Atomic Structures: The universal components that can’t be broken down further.
      • These are the 4x2 component structures of DSRP, listed above.
    • Molecular structures, or “jigs” or “moves”: Abstractions of mental models.
      • “Jig” as in a work-tool that helps you build something. “Move” as in martial arts or dancing - patterns that repeatedly appear.
      • These are thinking-patterns that are basically information-less models. Often these can be discovered by abstracting from the next level (conceptual models).
      • Examples: 2x2 table of considerations - this appears in lots of types of thinking.
      • There’s a big list at https://help.cabreraresearch.org/moves-glossary
    • Compound structures: Conceptual models that include molecular structures AND information.
      • e.g. any applied model. Traffic optimisation models. SWOT analysis (this is a specific example of a 2x2 table)
    • Any person, any system:
      • They claim this represents all knowledge, but I think it only represents all thinking (maybe).