[HUME 112] 3rd Examination Reviewer

Wicked Problems

Complex, interconnected socio-ecological challenges with no definitive formula, no stopping rule, and solutions that are better or worse rather than true or false

Transdisciplinarity

A research approach that transcends academic fields by integrating formal science with non-academic stakeholder knowledge to address real-world challenges

Social-Ecological System (SES)

An integrated complex adaptive system where human societies and biophysical ecosystems continuously interact through cross-scale feedback loops

Action Situation

The focal analytical arena in IAD/SES frameworks where boundedly rational actors make decisions and interact under specific governance rules and environmental conditions

Transforming Structures and Processes (PIPs)

The institutions, policies, organizations, and cultural norms in the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework that dictate access to assets and livelihood strategies

Livelihood Capital Assets (The Asset Pentagon)

The core balance of Human, Social, Natural, Physical, and Financial capital stocks that households combine to pursue livelihood strategies

Vulnerability Context

The external conditions shaping human livelihoods, composed of unexpected shocks, long-term trends, and seasonal fluctuations

The Adaptive Cycle

A dynamic four-phase model of system change consisting of Exploitation (r), Conservation (K), Release (Omega), and Reorganization (Alpha)

Back Loop of the Adaptive Cycle

The chaotic Release (Omega) and Reorganization (Alpha) phases where system collapse creates a window of opportunity for reorganization and innovation

Social Innovation

Novel strategies, concepts, or institutional arrangements that satisfy social needs while fundamentally changing basic routines, resource flows, and authority structures

Bricolage

The creative recombination of existing and new knowledge, tools, and ideas to build novel social innovations

Bridging Organizations

Intermediary entities that build trust, lower transaction costs, resolve conflicts, and integrate diverse knowledge types across fragmented governance scales

Cultural Paradigms / Mental Models

Deeply held worldviews, values, and cognitive assumptions that determine how problems are framed, goals are set, and interventions are designed

Emergent Properties

Novel systemic characteristics or behaviors that arise from interactions among components and cannot be understood by analyzing isolated parts

Leverage Points

Specific places within a complex system structure where a small intervention can produce significant, system-wide behavioral shifts

Collaborative Conceptual Modeling (CCM)

A participatory systems-dynamics methodology that engages stakeholders to externalize and synthesize mental models into qualitative influence diagrams

Panarchy

A nested framework of adaptive cycles interacting across spatial and temporal scales through top-down Remember and bottom-up Revolt dynamics

Remember Dynamic in Panarchy

Top-down influence where larger, slower adaptive cycle levels provide memory, stability, and resources to reorganizing lower levels

Revolt Dynamic in Panarchy

Bottom-up influence where rapid collapse or innovation at smaller, faster adaptive cycle levels triggers destabilization or transformation at higher levels

Multidisciplinarity

An approach where multiple academic disciplines work side-by-side on a shared topic without integrating their analytical perspectives

Interdisciplinarity

An approach that integrates theories, methods, and concepts across different academic disciplines to synthesize new knowledge

Action Situation Input Variables

Governance system rules, resource system attributes, actor capabilities, and broader socio-economic settings that frame actor interactions

Human Capital

The skills, knowledge, labor capacity, education, and good health that enable individuals to pursue livelihood strategies

Social Capital

The social resources, networks, trust relationships, memberships, and reciprocal obligations that people draw upon in pursuing livelihoods

Natural Capital

The natural resource stocks and environmental services, such as land, water, forests, and clean air, from which livelihoods are derived

Physical Capital

The basic infrastructure and producer goods, such as roads, tools, buildings, sanitation, and equipment, required to support livelihoods

Financial Capital

The financial resources, including savings, credit, income, and remittances, that provide people with different livelihood options

Shocks

Sudden, unpredictable external events, such as natural disasters, epidemics, or economic crashes, that threaten livelihoods

Trends

Long-term, predictable directional shifts, such as population growth, urbanization, technological change, or resource depletion

Seasonality

Regular, predictable cyclical shifts over the course of a year, such as seasonal food price spikes, labor demand, or weather changes

Rigidity Trap

A state in the Conservation (K) phase where high connectedness and efficiency reduce resilience, making the system highly vulnerable to collapse

Poverty Trap

A state of low capital accumulation and adaptive capacity where actors cannot mobilize resources to innovate or escape vulnerability

Exploitation Phase (r)

The early growth phase of the adaptive cycle characterized by rapid resource accumulation, high flexibility, and weak connectivity

Conservation Phase (K)

The mature phase of the adaptive cycle characterized by high capital storage, tight connectivity, high efficiency, and declining flexibility

Release Phase (Omega)

The rapid collapse or crisis phase triggered by disturbances that exceed system resilience, freeing tightly bound resources

Reorganization Phase (Alpha)

The phase of high uncertainty and innovation following release, where freed resources are recombined into new system configurations

Iceberg Model

A systems thinking tool illustrating that observable events are driven by underlying patterns of behavior, systemic structures, and mental models

Polycentric Governance

A governance system featuring multiple semi-autonomous decision-making centers operating across overlapping scales under shared rules

SES Framework First-Tier Components

Resource Systems (RS), Resource Units (RU), Governance Systems (GS), Actors (A), and Action Situations producing Social and Ecological Outcomes

SES Framework Primary Purpose

To provide a multi-tiered diagnostic language for evaluating complex human-nature interactions and resource sustainability without panaceas

Sustainable Livelihoods Framework Primary Purpose

To analyze how poor households combine capital assets within a vulnerability context and institutional environment to achieve livelihood outcomes

Sustainable Livelihoods Framework Key Components

Asset Pentagon, Vulnerability Context, Transforming Structures and Processes (PIPs), Livelihood Strategies, and Livelihood Outcomes

Cultural Adaptation Template Primary Purpose

To map feedback loops between cultural worldviews, societal choices, ecosystem states, and human health and wellbeing

Cultural Adaptation Template Subsystems

Cultural Paradigms, State of Community, Biophysical Ecosystem State, and Human Health and Wellbeing

Collaborative Conceptual Modeling Primary Purpose

To engage diverse stakeholders in building shared qualitative influence diagrams to identify leverage points for wicked problems

CCM 6-Step Workflow

Story Definition, Individual Influence Diagrams, Pair-Blending, Feedback Structure Analysis, Leverage Point Identification, and Scenario Testing

Pair-Blending in CCM

The process of merging two individual influence diagrams into a unified model while consolidating redundant variables to maintain conceptual clarity

Back Loop Transformation Framework Primary Purpose

To guide how environmental crises can be leveraged to foster social innovation and transition to adaptive ecosystem management

Back Loop Transformation Key Enablers

Crisis Catalyst, Perspective Reframing, Social Entrepreneurship, Bridging Organizations, Stakeholder Engagement, and Institutional Support

Principles-Based Complexity Framework Primary Purpose

To guide transdisciplinary research embedded in complexity theory with an explicit action imperative

Principles-Based Complexity Core Principles

Embrace Uncertainty, Engage Stakeholders, Adopt Transdisciplinarity, and Maintain a Learning Orientation

Minimal Specifications

Flexible bounding rules in complex project design that set core principles while allowing adaptive local emergent solutions

Central Luzon Land Conversion Issue

Rapid loss of prime agricultural land to industrial expansion, displacement of smallholders, and national food insecurity

Central Luzon Strategic Intervention

Enforce a land conversion moratorium, establish agricultural protection zones, and upgrade farmer cooperative capital assets

Upland Watershed Degradation Issue

Slope erosion and chemical runoff from upland farming causing downstream water siltation and multi-scale governance conflict

Upland Watershed Strategic Solution

Establish a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) mechanism funded by downstream utility fees to support upland agroforestry

Wetland Ecosystem Collapse Issue

Rigid command-and-control drainage causing catastrophic flood collapse during the release phase of the adaptive cycle

Wetland Strategic Transformation

Reframe wetlands as vital ecological infrastructure, establish a bridging council, and implement adaptive co-management

Urban Thermal Stress and Mal-adaptation Issue

A reinforcing loop where automobile dependency and air conditioning expansion exacerbate urban heat and health crises

Urban Mal-adaptation Systemic Solution

Reframe urban goals toward active transit, green infrastructure, building code reform, and passive cooling architecture