Victoria Orange – University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom
Keywords
supercomplex adaptive system, complex systems theory, human interaction, heartfulness
Abstract
In these times of liquid modernity, the pressures of which can lead to increased tensions between individuals, groups, societies and countries, while at the same time requiring the same to unite in order to find and implement solutions to global challenges, it is more than ever important to understand what we are undertaking when we interact. Drawing on work from the soon to be published book Supercomplexity in Interaction, (publication date 6 December 2019 by Palgrave Macmillan), this paper discusses how complex systems theory can be applied to human interaction in order to allow those interested to obtain a better grasp on the enormity of interaction and the delicatesse and skill needed in order to navigate it. The paper starts by looking at complex systems theory and, more importantly, complex adaptive systems theory; these systems are defined, the features of them are outlined and the items that make up the systems are described. Important phenomena such as boundaries and balance are addressed. It is also shown how complex systems theory fits in with other systems theories. An important point in this section is the introduction of supercomplex systems and, more precisely, supercomplex adaptive systems and the characteristics of them. It is important to understand these systems and how they work as they are developed in detail in the subsequent sections of the paper. After describing complex systems theory in the first section, the second section gives a detailed definition of interaction and how it can be considered to be a supercomplex adaptive system. It starts by outlining different approaches to interaction drawing on different fields of research and, crucially, demonstrates why interaction can be considered to be a supercomplex adaptive system by mapping the features of such a system onto the concept of interaction as it is seen here. It puts forward a novel way to visualise interaction by presenting the 4Es of interaction, which are Expression, Encounter, Education and Emotion. The components of the sub-systems of interaction are also discussed and repackaged into sub-components of the 4Es model along with additional ones. It is clearly underlined that this model is by no means a reductionist one; on the contrary it is vitally important to constantly bear in mind the dynamic and fluid nature of what is outlined. After having outlined the concept of supercomplex adaptive systems and the model of the 4Es of interaction in detail, the final sections are devoted to an exploration of how to teach about interaction in a different way by applying the 4Es concept in teaching and attempting to work on the cognitive and affective aspects of it with learners applying a novel zoom in and zoom out approach which allows learners to take into account the system as a whole and its possible components in a dynamic way. A case study of an initial and new, second trial of using the 4Es in teaching will be described. The question of what effective interaction learning is is discussed and it is suggested that bringing the notions of heartfulness into teaching and learning in order to foster better understanding of this subject.
Presenter Bio
Victoria has devoted her career to increasing the comfort, confidence and competence of people working in multicultural environments. She has been specializing in intercultural communication since the early 2000’s. Victoria has an MA Hons (Foreign Languages) and has completed PhD work on intercultural communication particularly focusing on professional intercultural interactions. She regularly attends the IALIC (International Association for Languages and Intercultural Communication) conference and has been a member of this association for many years. She updates her knowledge by attending professional training programs and continuing academic research. Her research focus is centred on intercultural interaction in the workplace and teaching approaches for developing intercultural skills. She is professor of Intercultural Management and International Human Resources at several business schools and universities in France including the Montpellier Graduate Institute of Business and the Faculty of International Affairs in Le Havre. Since October 2014 she has also been a lecturer in Intercultural Business Communication at the University of Central Lancashire, UK.
Author’s Bibliography
“Factors of success and failure in projects aiming to develop intercultural competence in international students: a comparison of two projects”, paper presented at Linguistic Resources and Intercultural (Communicative) Competence: Bridging a Theoretical and Empirical Gap, Aveiro, Portugal, 2014
“Working with international managers: negotiating the interface between practitioner and confidante…3 case studies”, paper presented (via pre-recorded video) at TESOL 2015: Crossing Borders, Building Bridges
“Interactional categorisation and gatekeeping in promotion”, paper presented at Intercultural Communication in Social Practices IALIC Conference, Beijing, China, 2015
“Four factors that supersede culture in influencing interaction on the interaction pathway”, paper presented at Bridging Across Languages and Cultures in Everyday Lives: New Roles for Changing Scenarios, Barcelona, Spain, 2016
Paper submitted to Languages and Intercultural Communication journal March 2017 “The interaction pathway: a super-complex system, with a particular focus on the role of volonté”
Paper accepted for IALIC 2017 Interrogating the ‘Third Space’: Negotiating meaning and performing ‘culture’, Edinburgh, UK June 2017 entitled “The role of volonte in the successful creation of a third space”
Orange, V. (2019). SUPERCOMPLEXITY IN INTERACTION. [S.l.]: SPRINGER NATURE.