Abstract
The book, Handling Societal Complexity: A Study of the Theory of the Methodology of Societal Complexity and the COMPRAM Methodology with Examples of Applications on Global Safety, by Dorien J. DeTombe is a handbook for studying and applying the Theory of the Methodology of Societal Complexity. The book describes the theoretical development of the field of the Methodology of Societal Complexity and provides the foundation for the application of the Compram methodology, a methodology for policymaking on handling complex societal problems. The book is based on the doctoral dissertation, Defining Complex Interdisciplinary Societal Problems. A Theoretical Study for Constructing a Cooperative Problem Analyzing Method: The Method COMPRAM, by Dorien J. DeTombe in 1994 (DeTombe 1994) and on subsequent publications on the subject of handling societal complexity by the same author published in the period of 1992–2014 in various scientific journals and books. The use of the Compram methodology is illustrated by theoretical examples of how the methodology can be applied to real life complex societal problems on the subject of “global safety.”
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Notes
- 1.
By Cognitive Science we mean Cognitive Psychology including its relation with Artificial Intelligence.
- 2.
The role of the computer in handling of complex societal problems is limited to the support of humans in their discussions, through modeling, data mining, and for all kinds of administrative tasks. The computer cannot substitute for the role of the human mind in handling complex societal problems. This issue is discussed in chapter four and five of the dissertation (DeTombe 1994). These chapters are not included in this book.
- 3.
Paragraph 1.4 is based on the articles:
DeTombe, Dorien J. (1999c) A New Field: Methods and Tools for Handling Complex Societal Problems. In Súilleabhain, Micheál Ó, Elmar A. Stuhler & Dorien J. DeTombe, Research on Cases and Theory. DeTombe, D. J. & Stuhler, E. (Eds.) Volume 6, Complex Problem Solving; Methodological Support for Societal Policy Making, Research on Cases and Theories. Munchen/Mering: Hampp Verlag, 1-19. ISBN 3-87988-356 -6; ISSN 0940-2829,
DeTombe, Dorien J. (DeTombe 2001e ) Introduction to the Field of Methodology for Handling Complex Societal Problem . In DeTombe, Dorien J. (Guest Editor) Feature Issue: Complex Societal Problems, European Journal of Operation Research; D. J. Slowinski, R. Teghem, J. Wallenius, J. (Eds). Vol. 128 - 2, January 16, 2001, Elsevier, North-Holland, Amsterdam, ISSN 0377-2217, www.elsevier.com/locate/dsw , pp. 231 - 232.
- 4.
- 5.
Nosmo stands for Nederlandse Organisatie voor Sociaal-Wetenschappelijk Methodologisch Onderzoek (Dutch Organization for Social Scientific Methodological Research).
- 6.
- 7.
ISA is the International Sociological Association.
- 8.
- 9.
On the University of Utrecht in the period of 1996–2000; on the Academy of Bucuresti, Romania, in the period of 1995–2000.
- 10.
See for further discussion Chap. 14.
- 11.
OECD stands for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. See for the OECD advice ‘Final Consensus Report on Global Safety’ Report on the Workshop on Science and Technology for a Safer Society 20-Jul-2006 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/29/2/37163745.pdf OECD (2006). See also Chap. 14.
- 12.
See for further discussion Chap. 14.
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DeTombe, D. (2015). Introduction. In: Handling Societal Complexity. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-43917-3_1
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