Outside the Skin Systems Approaches to Society's Larger Structural Issues

Life's game is measured in episodes of awareness, i.e., self-awareness, an awareness of the way things work, or that things are not always what they seem. Systems dynamics are full of shocks to the system. Whether we are witnessing the physics of a rational system or the profundity of an irrational system, the shocks come with a sense of, "you mean you can do that?" This book examines systems dynamics from the perspective of my own triangulated model comprised of commons environments (those shared environments at risk for over use or degradation), the institutions we design to manage those commons and the human behavior associated with our investment in the triad. The feedbacks between the three comprise the policy arena for collective decision making and form a backdrop for shaping personal actions. Beautifully illustrated with student case study research covering a range of topics from the past twelve years, the work is written for a wide audience including academics, researchers, designers, and the concerned citizen.