James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · Oct 9 This is fascinating although I must admit is not a beach read. It makes me think that one of the big trends we’re seeing in government/public policy is the spread of third wave systems theory (into theories of statecraft, PSR, leadership training, etc). 1/2
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The waves being: 1. Parsons and structural functionalism 2. 1960s cybernetics 3. Late-1980s/1990s complexity theory (Santa Fe institute, etc). (Although tbf I’m not sure we ever got close to integrating the lessons from the first two! And arguably cybernetics is now spreading alongside wave 3.) 2/2
That's surely true (both that sawyer is a good book and that we're seeing more systems thinking in govt and the analysis of govt. Although the UK Govt's intro to systems thinking operates at a pretty introductory level)