Systemic Cognition: On the Complexity of Context

Abstract

Context is at the heart of systemic cognition, a new theoretical framework that supports human systems integration (HSI) of sociotechnical systems (STSs). An STS is a complex system that involves humans and machines. Our claim is that we cannot discuss, analyze, design, and assess an STS without considering the contexts in which it is designed, developed, validated, operated, maintained, and ultimately dismantled. More specifically, this is why we need a clearer understanding of what we mean by “context” in STS design and operations. The central assumption of the systemic cognition approach is that we gradually become familiar with the complexity of an STS through the creation and refinement of conceptual models in context. This process is incremental and integrative (i.e., anytime emerging behaviors, phenomena, and properties are discovered from experience, they are integrated into the STS at work). We then need not only to provide a situated framework for operations people but also to guide engineering people in HSI. This is the purpose of systemic cognition in context (SCC). Therefore, how can we figure out relevant contexts? How can we model them? How do we integrate them into the systemic cognition framework to support HSI? More specifically, how are systemic cognition resources (SCRs) framed and articulated in appropriate contexts? This article proposes a constructivist approach for further defining context-aware systemic cognition that encompasses the entire life cycle of an STS and is useful for tangibility testing and traceability. A review of relevant philosophical approaches to context is presented, along with several concrete implementation efforts. Examples are used to support the SCC framework being developed.