Welcome!The purpose of this brief, web-based, introduction to Systems Theory and Modeling is to facilitate dialogue and collaboration among people with different backgrounds, experience, and training who must work together -- sharing their ideas, concerns, and expertise -- to solve today's and tomorrow's pressing social and environmental problems. This site was developed by the Division of Science and Environmental Policy at California State University, Monterey Bay, with generous funding from NASA and the Earth Systems Science Education (ESSE) Program of the Universities Space Research Association (USRA). |
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Why Learn About systems? |
Why learn about systems?Many of today’s most pressing social and environmental problems involve complex interactions among a range of social, economic, political, and environmental factors. To solve them, we need generalists who can see the “big picture” working together with teams of experts who can exchange ideas and information with each other. Systems thinking and systems modeling are based on universal principles that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries. As such, they provide a conceptual framework for “big picture” thinking, and they offer a shared vocabulary that can facilitate productive dialogue among people with different backgrounds and expertise by bridging the “jargon gap” that so often separates them. |
