Fuzzy SETS: acknowledging multiple membership of elements within social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) theory
Convergent research to tackle complex, wicked problems requires synthesis across multiple sectors and disciplines, but epistemological, ontological, and linguistical disagreements between disciplinarily diverse research teams can hinder the progress of transdisciplinary team efforts. For example, in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Resilience Alliance
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Society |
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| Online Access: | https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol30/iss1/art22 |
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| author | Yolanda C. Lin Alex J. Webster Caroline E. Scruggs Rebecca J. Bixby Daniel Cadol Laura J. Crossey Patria de Lancer Julnes Kun Huang Atlin Johnson Melinda Morgan Anjali Mulchandani Asa B. Stone Mark C. Stone |
| author_facet | Yolanda C. Lin Alex J. Webster Caroline E. Scruggs Rebecca J. Bixby Daniel Cadol Laura J. Crossey Patria de Lancer Julnes Kun Huang Atlin Johnson Melinda Morgan Anjali Mulchandani Asa B. Stone Mark C. Stone |
| author_sort | Yolanda C. Lin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Convergent research to tackle complex, wicked problems requires synthesis across multiple sectors and disciplines, but epistemological, ontological, and linguistical disagreements between disciplinarily diverse research teams can hinder the progress of transdisciplinary team efforts. For example, in social-ecological-technological systems (SETS), elements within the system may require distinction between component (S-E-T) parts to be conceptualized and modeled. Current SETS literature has focused predominantly on the deep interconnections across these social, ecological, and technological elements, but has not addressed how to explicitly acknowledge potentially messy, multi-membership classifications of elements within these categories. We introduce the conceptual framework of Fuzzy SETS, drawing on mathematical fuzzy set theory and SETS literature. By treating these categories as “fuzzy,” or being capable of multiple memberships, we investigate how the conceptual framework of fuzzy SETS can facilitate convergent, collaborative research across multiple disciplines and epistemologies by explicitly acknowledging and visualizing differences and similarities in perception of a given SETS. We apply this framework to our own work of creating a system dynamics model of the Santa Fe Watershed, New Mexico. Within our network of researchers, diverse perspectives exist when categorizing elements within the Santa Fe Watershed into social, ecological, and technological categories. Our findings support the hypothesis that the fuzzy SETS conceptual framework is a way to honor a diversity of epistemological perspectives within transdisciplinary teams by explicitly accepting that different views can coexist and can actually enrich our understanding of systems by creating a basis for asking deeper questions regarding their elements and dynamics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-31d5e865f52e4da19a7c3aaf4cc22709 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1708-3087 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Resilience Alliance |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-31d5e865f52e4da19a7c3aaf4cc227092025-08-20T02:49:55ZengResilience AllianceEcology and Society1708-30872025-03-013012210.5751/ES-15764-30012215764Fuzzy SETS: acknowledging multiple membership of elements within social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) theoryYolanda C. Lin0Alex J. Webster1Caroline E. Scruggs2Rebecca J. Bixby3Daniel Cadol4Laura J. Crossey5Patria de Lancer Julnes6Kun Huang7Atlin Johnson8Melinda Morgan9Anjali Mulchandani10Asa B. Stone11Mark C. Stone12Geography and Environmental Studies, University of New MexicoDepartment of Biology, University of New MexicoCommunity and Regional Planning, University of New MexicoDepartment of Biology, University of New MexicoEarth and Environmental Science, New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologyEarth and Planetary Sciences, University of New MexicoSchool of Public Administration, University of New MexicoSchool of Public Administration, University of New MexicoCivil Construction and Environmental Engineering, University of New MexicoGeography and Environmental Studies, University of New MexicoCivil Construction and Environmental Engineering, University of New MexicoAgricultural Economics, University of Nebraska-LincolnBiological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska-LincolnConvergent research to tackle complex, wicked problems requires synthesis across multiple sectors and disciplines, but epistemological, ontological, and linguistical disagreements between disciplinarily diverse research teams can hinder the progress of transdisciplinary team efforts. For example, in social-ecological-technological systems (SETS), elements within the system may require distinction between component (S-E-T) parts to be conceptualized and modeled. Current SETS literature has focused predominantly on the deep interconnections across these social, ecological, and technological elements, but has not addressed how to explicitly acknowledge potentially messy, multi-membership classifications of elements within these categories. We introduce the conceptual framework of Fuzzy SETS, drawing on mathematical fuzzy set theory and SETS literature. By treating these categories as “fuzzy,” or being capable of multiple memberships, we investigate how the conceptual framework of fuzzy SETS can facilitate convergent, collaborative research across multiple disciplines and epistemologies by explicitly acknowledging and visualizing differences and similarities in perception of a given SETS. We apply this framework to our own work of creating a system dynamics model of the Santa Fe Watershed, New Mexico. Within our network of researchers, diverse perspectives exist when categorizing elements within the Santa Fe Watershed into social, ecological, and technological categories. Our findings support the hypothesis that the fuzzy SETS conceptual framework is a way to honor a diversity of epistemological perspectives within transdisciplinary teams by explicitly accepting that different views can coexist and can actually enrich our understanding of systems by creating a basis for asking deeper questions regarding their elements and dynamics.https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol30/iss1/art22collaborative modelingfuzzy setssocial-ecological-technological systemssetssystem dynamics modelingteam readiness |
| spellingShingle | Yolanda C. Lin Alex J. Webster Caroline E. Scruggs Rebecca J. Bixby Daniel Cadol Laura J. Crossey Patria de Lancer Julnes Kun Huang Atlin Johnson Melinda Morgan Anjali Mulchandani Asa B. Stone Mark C. Stone Fuzzy SETS: acknowledging multiple membership of elements within social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) theory Ecology and Society collaborative modeling fuzzy sets social-ecological-technological systems sets system dynamics modeling team readiness |
| title | Fuzzy SETS: acknowledging multiple membership of elements within social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) theory |
| title_full | Fuzzy SETS: acknowledging multiple membership of elements within social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) theory |
| title_fullStr | Fuzzy SETS: acknowledging multiple membership of elements within social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) theory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fuzzy SETS: acknowledging multiple membership of elements within social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) theory |
| title_short | Fuzzy SETS: acknowledging multiple membership of elements within social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) theory |
| title_sort | fuzzy sets acknowledging multiple membership of elements within social ecological technological systems sets theory |
| topic | collaborative modeling fuzzy sets social-ecological-technological systems sets system dynamics modeling team readiness |
| url | https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol30/iss1/art22 |
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