Reformulating ‘Holism' in hydropower decision-making
Authors: Kang, K.
Journal: Systems Research and Behavioral Science
Volume: 37
Issue: 2
Pages: 360-368
eISSN: 1099-1743
ISSN: 1092-7026
DOI: 10.1002/sres.2635
Abstract:This paper investigates the necessary-impossible paradox facing hydropower decision-makers of the Mekong River Commission: that aspiring towards a holistic risk assessment is both socially useful and necessary, but also meaningless and impossible (because the future remains unknown). The thesis here is that to come to terms with this paradox, a Luhmannian inspired relational model offers superior analytical tools compared with an Aristotelian essentialist approach. This is because where the latter typically employs integrative approaches which attempt to show why through rational reasoning risk assessments are holistic, the former takes into account that holistic risk assessments are contingent on the observer, on an organisation's position within a network, and on the ‘temporal atoms' that mark the ‘time' of social systems. By employing a relational framework comprised of variation, selection and retention to capture this comparative sociology of the observer, the contribution here offers a radical reformulation of holism in hydropower decision-making.
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/33122/
Source: Scopus
Reformulating 'Holism' in hydropower decision-making
Authors: Kang, K.
Journal: SYSTEMS RESEARCH AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE
Volume: 37
Issue: 2
Pages: 360-368
eISSN: 1099-1743
ISSN: 1092-7026
DOI: 10.1002/sres.2635
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/33122/
Source: Web of Science (Lite)
Reformulating ‘Holism’ in hydropower decision‐making
Authors: Kang, K.
Journal: Systems Research and Behavioral Science
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
ISSN: 0005-7940
Abstract:This paper investigates the necessary‐impossible paradox facing hydropower decision‐makers of the Mekong River Commission: that aspiring towards a holistic risk assessment is both socially useful and necessary, but also meaningless and impossible (because the future remains unknown). The thesis here is that to come to terms with this paradox, a Luhmannian inspired relational model offers superior analytical tools compared with an Aristotelian essentialist approach. This is because where the latter typically employs integrative approaches which attempt to show why through rational reasoning risk assessments are holistic, the former takes into account that holistic risk assessments are contingent on the observer, on an organisation's position within a network, and on the ‘temporal atoms’ that mark the ‘time’ of social systems. By employing a relational framework comprised of variation, selection and retention to capture this comparative sociology of the observer, the contribution here offers a radical reformulation of holism in hydropower decision‐making.
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/33122/
Source: Manual
Reformulating ‘Holism’ in hydropower decision‐making
Authors: Kang, K.
Journal: Systems Research and Behavioral Science
Volume: 37
Issue: 2
Pages: 360-368
ISSN: 0005-7940
Abstract:This paper investigates the necessary‐impossible paradox facing hydropower decision‐makers of the Mekong River Commission: that aspiring towards a holistic risk assessment is both socially useful and necessary, but also meaningless and impossible (because the future remains unknown). The thesis here is that to come to terms with this paradox, a Luhmannian inspired relational model offers superior analytical tools compared with an Aristotelian essentialist approach. This is because where the latter typically employs integrative approaches which attempt to show why through rational reasoning risk assessments are holistic, the former takes into account that holistic risk assessments are contingent on the observer, on an organisation's position within a network, and on the ‘temporal atoms’ that mark the ‘time’ of social systems. By employing a relational framework comprised of variation, selection and retention to capture this comparative sociology of the observer, the contribution here offers a radical reformulation of holism in hydropower decision‐making.
https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/33122/
Source: BURO EPrints