Thinking in Systems: How to Understand and Tackle Complex Problems

Course Code: SOCI 3200

Academic Year: 2025-2026

Systems Thinking is a new way of thinking that embraces the interconnectedness of the contemporary world, where global challenges are more complex, more difficult to understand, and harder than ever to solve. This is largely the result of technological advances that have brought many benefits but also unintended negative consequences that are bringing us, as a human family, to the brink of an existential social and ecological crisis. What's more, global crises are themselves interconnected and interdependent: pandemics trigger economic crises; pollution deepens social inequalities; a warming climate triggers ideological extremism, and so on. In this course, students learn the basics of Systems Thinking and Systems Mapping, and apply them to issues they are passionate about. Students develop a deeper understanding of how the world works, and how to manage complex problems across disciplines.