A normative application of multi-modal systems thinking to a non-viable social system

Abstract: This research evaluates how multi-modal systems thinking, a normative approach to systems science, answers to the theoretical, practical and ethical demands emerging from research in sustainability and to systems scientists concerned with the norms of life and ethics. The thesis starts with a broad survey of sustainability literature and concludes that this multi-modal systems methodology, which has emerged during the last decade, has a significant contribution to make. This systems approach was applied to Rosvik, a small village in northern Sweden, which is undergoing instability and threats to its longterm viability. In particular, the multi-modal systems method and the software package, SmCube, especially developed to apply this method, proved useful tools. They pointed to issues and identified threats to the village that corresponded closely to those identified in the sustainability literature.