Complexity and Social Change: Two case studies in Technology

There can be no simple way of incorporating complexity themes into social science and no simple way in which social science can deal with the assumptions that derive from the themes of complexity. To adopt a complexity-informed position is to take seriously and deal rigorously with the aspects of social science that resist thinking beyond the focus group and the sociological considerations of human action. The rewards for entering into new forms of engagement are immense. Each connection leads to a new concept and with each new concept a new series of connections and new possibilities for thinking. However, such a framework requires a plurality of approaches and a continual revision of the state of social and technological practices. Sociology, I argue, must have room for just such a diversity of approaches, practices, theories and models, including the type of research that attempts to connect elements from these approaches and other “sources” of information.