From Systems Boundaries to Fractality: Broadening the Practitioner’s Paradigm

ABSTRACT: Boundary setting has proven problematic for systems practitioners when applying their discipline across the breadth of complex social systems. The rise of complexity theory, especially when applied to such complex social situations, brings with it the notion of fractality as a means of identifying a manageable construct of that complexity, much as systems theory does through setting boundaries. Each approach has its merits, with this paper suggesting greater relevance of systems practice in situations closer to states of equilibrium and greater relevance of complexity practice in complex social situations closer to the edge of chaos