Awareness of self as an embodied
capacity for engaging with complexity

Master Thesis 2026
Victoria Batten

Executive Master of Systems Oriented Design

Supervisors: Mari Suoheimo and Svein Gunnar Kjøde
The Oslo School of Architecture and Design

Introduction

There is a growing understanding that complex challenges, including contemporary societal issues, cannot be solved by linear or reductionist thinking. A growing body of research suggests that systemic understanding is needed to grasp and address the situations we are faced with in a meaningful way. Over the last few decades, systems thinking, as well as subfields such as Systems Oriented Design (SOD), have been outlining traits and factors that enable practitioners to engage with and navigate complexity with purpose. A non-exhaustive list of these traits include the tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty, the integration of plurality in approaches and methods, adopting a holistic mindset, being aware of worldviews and issues of power and many more.

However when faced with a complex issue in real-life practice, our programmed reflexes can often have us jumping to conclusions and coming up with quick and simple solutions.

The approaches put forward in SOD methodology suggest a substantial set of skills and personal capacities from practitioners if one is to do SOD well. Considering the nature of human experience, the embodiment of such characteristics is a tall order. Furthermore, the skills themselves might not even be stable or innate. This tension suggests that other more human, embodied factors have not yet been addressed fully, and that this gap makes it difficult to live up to the promise of systemic approaches. This becomes especially challenging when one is in the midst of real-time engagement with complexity.

Research interest

This research looks at the reflexes that drive us toward taking action in complex situations. Given that SOD is still a relatively nascent discipline, there is still an opportunity to shape its further growth. With this in mind, the research explores ways of expanding the capacity to linger in uncertainty, and why this might be valuable for further development of SOD. If systems thinking is concerned with solving real-world issues, then more bridges need to be built between systems thinking and systems practice – linking what we know with how we actually act. The thesis proposes that an exploration into awareness of self could provide one possible bridge to link systems thinking and systems practice, as a way to give practical form to the existing ideals of SOD

Problem statement

Awareness of self becomes the central focus point of the research, understood as an embodied, dynamic and evolving capacity rather than a fixed trait. It examines how bringing this dimension of practice more explicitly into the SOD ‘toolbox’ may enhance our ability to work with complex issues. Scholars are starting to look into how posture, mindset, emotions are important factors in engaging with complexity. This research is a deeper exploration into the realm of awareness with the intention of gaining more insight for the field. Therefore the main question that guides the research is the following:

How does awareness of self in SOD practice influence the capacity to engage with uncertainty and ambiguity as key characteristics of complex issues?