International Society for the Systems Sciences

Infobox Non-profit
Non-profit_name = International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS)
Non-profit_
Non-profit_type = Professional Organization
founded_date = 1956
founder =
location = Pocklington, York , United Kingdom
origins = Society for General Systems Research (SGSR)
key_people = Timothy F. H. Allen (current president), Jennifer Wilby [ [http://www.hull.ac.uk/hubs/people/staff/wilby_j.html Jennifer Wilby] at www.hull.ac.uk.] (VP Administration)
area_served = Worldwide
focus = Systems sciences
method = Special Integration Groups, Conferences, Publications
revenue =
endowment =
num_volunteers =
num_employees =
num_members =
owner =
Non-profit_slogan =
homepage = [http://www.isss.org/world/ www.isss.org/world]
tax_exempt =
dissolved =
footnotes = The International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) is an organization for interdisciplinary collaboration and synthesis of systems sciences. The Society is unique among systems-oriented institutions in terms of the breadth of its scope, bringing together scholars and practitioners from academic, business, government, and non-profit organizations. Based on fifty years of tremendous interdisciplinary research from the scientific study of complex systems to interactive approaches in management and community development. [ [http://www.isss.org/world/ International Society for the Systems Sciences ] ]

Mission

The initial purpose of the society was "to encourage the development of theoretical systems which are applicable to more than one of the traditional departments of knowledge," with the following principal aims: [ [http://isss.org/world/en/about-the-isss Origin and Purpose of the ISSS | International Society for the Systems Sciences ] ]

* to investigate the isomorphy of concepts, laws, and models in various fields, and to help in useful transfers from one field to another;
* to encourage the development of adequate theoretical models in areas which lack them;
* to eliminate the duplication of theoretical efforts in different fields; and
* to promote the unity of science through improving the communication among specialists.

History

The International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) is among the first and oldest organizations devoted to interdisciplinary inquiry into the nature of complex systems, and remains perhaps the most broadly inclusive.

Society for the Advancements of General Systems Theory

The Society was initially conceived in 1954 at the Stanford Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences by Ludwig von Bertalanffy, Kenneth Boulding, Ralph Gerard, and Anatol Rapoport.

The story goes that in the fall of 1954 the four of them where sitting around a lunch table one day [ Kenneth E. Boulding (1983). "Introduction". In: "Uncommon Sense", by Mark Davidson, Los Angeles: J.P. Tarcher, 1983, p.19.] and it became clear that they all converging on something like general systems from different directions. Bertalanffy's thoughts certainly seeming to be the most advanced. Somebody said "Let's form a society."

At the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting that year in December in Berkeley, they called a meeting. Some seventy people came and there was a lot of enthusiasm. From that day, the society became active. The following year Boulding, Gerard and Rapoport joined with James Grier Miller at the University of Michigan, and from there the Society got underway.

Society for General Systems Research

The Society for General Systems Research (SGSR) was formally established as an affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1956. A mayor part of the scientific contributions, original discoveries, and innovative thinking of the field of General Systems Research was found in the publications, transactions, and proceedings of the Society. The international membership organization had its headquarters in Washington D.C. and was affiliated with the UNESCO as well as the AAAS. Kjell Samuelson (1977). "General Systems". In: "Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology: Volume 8". Edited by Jack Belzer and others. CRC Press 1977.]

The most famous product of the Society was its General Systems Yearbook, which collects together significant papers, often originally published in journals of a wide variety of disciplines. The frontiers of on-going research and scientific findings are represented in the annual meetings proceedings, which where organized around a specific topic each year. Periodical articles were published in the Societies journal "Behavioral Science". Additional "The Bulletin" added with regional and thematic publications.

International Society for the Systems Sciences

The society adopted its current name in 1988 to reflect its broadening scope. [ Home Page International Society for the Systems Sciences, ISSS 2004 ] In the intervening years, the ISSS has expanded its scope beyond purely theoretical and technical considerations to include the practical application of systems methodologies to problem solving. Even more importantly, it has provided a forum where scholars and practitioners from across the disciplinary spectrum, representing academic, business, government, and non-profit communities, can come together to share ideas and learn from one another. [ Home Page International Society for the Systems Sciences, ISSS 2004 ]

General Systems Yearbook

Since 1956, the Society for General Systems Research has produced a yearbook, General Systems, edited for many years by Ludwig von Bertalanffy and Anatol Rapoport. It includes many original writings as well as re-released articles that constitute the foundations and theoretical basis of General Systems.

The Yearbook is a valuable source for the location of concepts and their definitions. [http://www.uia.be/node/150?k
] . Union of International Associations 1907-2008. Retrieved 9 June 2008.] For example Richard F. Ericson, a former director of the Society, prepared two tentative versions of a "Selected glossary of terms with particular reference to concepts associated with cybernetic management and information technology". Oran Young has carried out a survey of the use of general systems concepts [General Systems, 1964, p.61-80.] The many books on general systems naturally also offer definitions of concepts. It is appropriate to ask why general systems has not been able to respond as effectively as might have been hoped to the challenges of the times. Attempts have been made to render general systems relevant to the issues raised by the global problematique [Ervin Laszlo, 1974 and Richard F. Ericson 1979),] but there has been little follow-up.

General Systems Bulletin

The General Systems Bulletin is the membership publication of the ISSS. In the past it has been published quarterly, but is now published annually in January of each year. The GSB contains reports of research in progress, membership announcements, conference information, membership status and financial reports and the current list of members.

Special Integration Groups

An organizational feature of the society is the Special Integration Group (SIG). Each Special Integration Group allows the organization to approach systems work from a particular perspective. The ISSS believes that sub multiple groups, working in collaboration, yield the kind of synergy that is needed to embrace reality in a meaningful manner. [ [http://www.ifsr.org/members/isss/ ISSS] introduction on the ISFR website 2007.] The Special Integration Groups of the ISSS are:

* Agent-based Social Simulation
* Aging Systems
* Applied Systems & Development
* Critical Systems Theory & Practice
* Designing Educational Systems
* Duality theory
* Evolutionary development
* Futurism & Systems change
* Hierarchy theory
* Human Systems Inquiry
* Information Systems Design and Information Technology
* Living Systems Analysis
* Medical and Health systems
* Meta-modeling & Systems epistemology
* Organizational transformation and Social change
* Research Towards General Theories of Systems
* Roundtable
* Spirituality and Systems
* Student Special Integration Group
* Systems applications in Business & Industry
* Systems Biology and Evolution
* Systems modeling and Simulation
* Systems Pathology
* Systems philosophy & Systems ethics
* Systems psychology & Psychiatry
* Systems Specific Technology
* What is Life and Living
* Women and Children

Presidents

Past Presidents of ISSS have been drawn from a wide spectrum of scholars including Nobel laureates. The ISSS presidents: [ [http://www.isss.org/world/en/administration/board Board of Directors | International Society for the Systems Sciences ] ]
* Allenna Leonard, President-elect 2009-2010
* Timothy F. H. Allen, 2008-2009
* Gary Metcalf, 2007-2008
* Kyoichi Kijima, 2006-2007
* Debora Hammond, 2005-2006
* Enrique Herrscher, 2004-2005
* Kenneth D. Bailey, 2003
* Alexander Christakis, 2002
* Michael C. Jackson, 2001
* Harold G. Nelson, 2000
* Peter Corning, 1999
* Béla A. Bánáthy, 1998
* G. A. Swanson, 1997
* Yong Pil Rhee, 1996
* Ervin Laszlo, 1995
* J. Donald R. de Raadt, 1994
* Harold A. Linstone, 1993
* Ian I. Mitroff, 1992
* Howard T. Odum 1991
* Len R. Troncale, 1990
* Ilya Prigogine, 1988
* C. West Churchman 1989
* Russell L. Ackoff, 1987
* Peter Checkland, 1986
* John A. Dillon, 1985
* John N. Warfield, 1982
* George Klir, 1981
* Robert Rosen, 1980
* Brian R. Gaines, 1979
* Richard F. Ericson, 1978
* Charles Geoffrey Vickers, 1977
* Heinz von Foerster, 1976
* Kjell Samuelson, 1975
* Gordon Pask, 1974
* James Grier Miller, 1973
* Margaret Mead, 1972
* Stafford Beer, 1971
* Bertram Gross, 1970
* Lawrence Slobodkin, 1969
* Milton Rubin, 1968
* John Milsum, 1967
* Peter Caws, 1966
* Anatol Rapaport, 1965
* W. Ross Ashby 1962-64
* Charles A. McClelland 1959-61
* Kenneth E. Boulding, 1957-58

Sir Geoffrey Vickers Memorial Award

The Sir Geoffrey Vickers Memorial Award is an annual Award for outstanding student paper in the domain of Systems sciences. It is considered the most prestious prize in the field at the pre-doctoral level. The Award named after Sir Geoffrey Vickers has been presented by the International Society for the Systems Sciences every year since 1987 in his memory. Recipients, a selection: [ [http://www.isss.org/world/en/node/367 Sir Geoffrey Vickers Award] on isss.org. Retrieved 23 July 2008.]

*1987 Budapest two awards: Alexander Laszlo; Lynda J. Davies and Paul W.J. Ledington (co-authors)
*1988 St Louis Donald de Raadt
*1989 Edinburgh Bela A Banathy
*1990 Portland two awards: Sally Goerner; Daune West
*1991 Sweden Erin Artigiani, Cliff Joslyn
*1992 Denver Sen Suan Tan
*1993 Australia Jeremy Chui
*1994 Asilomar T. Dahl and Darek Erikson
*1995 Amsterdam two awards: Craig Crabtree; Jennifer Wilby
*1996 Louisville Parviz Ahari
*1996 Budapest No Award
*1997 Seoul, Korea No Award
*1998 Atlanta Martine Dodds
*1999 Asilomar Molly Dwyer and Jane Zimmerman
*2000 Toronto two awards: Gabor Horvath; Kathia Laszlo
*2001 Asilomar Lynn M. Rasmussen
*2002 Shanghai, China two awards: Pamela Buckle; K. C. Wang
*2003 Crete Sabrina Brahms
*2004 Asilomar Janette Young
*2005 Cancun Honorato Teissier
*2006 Sonoma Hanne Birgitte Jensen
*2007 Tokyo Nicholas Magliocca
*2008 Madison Devin Wixon

See also

*
* International Federation for Systems Research (IFRS)
* International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE)
* International Society for Complexity, Information and Design (ISCID)
* Mental Health Research Institute (Michigan)

References

External links

* [http://www.isss.org/world/ Homepage] of the International Society of Systems Science
* [http://www.ifsr.org/members/isss/ ISSS] introduction on the ISFR website