Debora Hammond
Encyclopedia
Debora Hammond is an American historian of science, Provost
and Professor Interdisciplinary Studies of the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies at the Sonoma State University
. She is known as author of the 2003 book "The Science of Synthesis: Exploring the Social Implications of General Systems Theory", and 2005-06 President of International Society for the Systems Sciences
.
in History in 1974 at Stanford University
. During the Vietnam War
era, she had spent half of her time studying systems theory
, and exploring ways of thinking about complex systems
that might support more participatory and inclusive forms of social organization. In 1991 she received an M.A.
in History of science
at the University of California
in Berkeley, In May 1997 she completed her Ph.D. in the history of science
again at the University of California at Berkeley with Professor Carolyn Merchant
. Her dissertation research focused on the history of systems thinking
, specifically the lives and work of the five founders of the Society for General Systems Research
: Ludwig von Bertalanffy, Kenneth Boulding, Ralph Gerard, James Grier Miller, and Anatol Rapoport.
In 1996 Hammond got appointed to the Sonoma State University
, where she joined the Hutchins faculty in the fall of 1997. In addition to teaching courses in the lower division integrated general education
sequence, she has taught upper division seminars on such topics as "The Global Food Web"; Oikos; Ecology and Economics; Health and Healing; The Dharma of Complex Systems
; Technology, Ecology, and Society; and about the "Systems View of the World". Her teaching revolves around the core issues of ecological sustainability
and social justice
how to create a healthy society that works for everyone. In 2004 and 2005 Debora Hammond participated in the Complex Systems Summer School at Santa Fe Institute
. Her primary purpose was to enhance the quality of the conference program by integrating current developments in the field of complex systems
. In 2008 she was promoted Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies in the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies at Sonoma State University
From 2005 to 2007 Dr. Hammond has also been coordinating the Northern California Earth Institute, an organization that nurtures community dialogue on themes relating to the environment and sustainable living. In 2005–2006 Debora Hammond was the President of International Society for the Systems Sciences
(ISSS), in the year that the annual ISSS meeting was held at the Sonoma State University
.
Debora Hammond finds much of her inspiration in the wilderness, which is reflected in her work on environmental philosophy
and ethics. She believes that social justice
depends upon our ability to find more harmonious ways of living with the natural world
.
Articles, a selection
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
and Professor Interdisciplinary Studies of the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies at the Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University is a public, coeducational business and liberal arts college affiliated with the California State University system. The main campus is located in Rohnert Park, California, United States and lies approximately south of Santa Rosa and north of San Francisco...
. She is known as author of the 2003 book "The Science of Synthesis: Exploring the Social Implications of General Systems Theory", and 2005-06 President of International Society for the Systems Sciences
International Society for the Systems Sciences
The International Society for the Systems Sciences is a world-wide organization for systems sciences.- Overview :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."The idea...
.
Biography
Debora Hammond received a B.A.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in History in 1974 at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
era, she had spent half of her time studying systems theory
Systems theory
Systems theory is the transdisciplinary study of systems in general, with the goal of elucidating principles that can be applied to all types of systems at all nesting levels in all fields of research...
, and exploring ways of thinking about complex systems
Complex systems
Complex systems present problems in mathematical modelling.The equations from which complex system models are developed generally derive from statistical physics, information theory and non-linear dynamics, and represent organized but unpredictable behaviors of systems of nature that are considered...
that might support more participatory and inclusive forms of social organization. In 1991 she received an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in History of science
History of science
The history of science is the study of the historical development of human understandings of the natural world and the domains of the social sciences....
at the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
in Berkeley, In May 1997 she completed her Ph.D. in the history of science
History of science
The history of science is the study of the historical development of human understandings of the natural world and the domains of the social sciences....
again at the University of California at Berkeley with Professor Carolyn Merchant
Carolyn Merchant
Carolyn Merchant is an American ecofeminist philosopher and historian of science most famous for her theory on 'The Death of Nature', whereby she identifies the Enlightenment as the period when science began to atomize, objectify and dissect nature, foretelling its eventual conception as inert...
. Her dissertation research focused on the history of systems thinking
Systems thinking
Systems thinking is the process of understanding how things influence one another within a whole. In nature, systems thinking examples include ecosystems in which various elements such as air, water, movement, plants, and animals work together to survive or perish...
, specifically the lives and work of the five founders of the Society for General Systems Research
Society for General Systems Research
The Society for General Systems Research is predecessor of the current International Society for the Systems Sciences , known to be one the first interdisciplinary and international co-operations in the field of systems theory and systems science...
: Ludwig von Bertalanffy, Kenneth Boulding, Ralph Gerard, James Grier Miller, and Anatol Rapoport.
In 1996 Hammond got appointed to the Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University is a public, coeducational business and liberal arts college affiliated with the California State University system. The main campus is located in Rohnert Park, California, United States and lies approximately south of Santa Rosa and north of San Francisco...
, where she joined the Hutchins faculty in the fall of 1997. In addition to teaching courses in the lower division integrated general education
Integrative learning
Integrative Learning is a learning theory describing a movement toward integrated lessons helping students make connections across curricula. This higher education concept is distinct from the elementary and high school "integrated curriculum" movement....
sequence, she has taught upper division seminars on such topics as "The Global Food Web"; Oikos; Ecology and Economics; Health and Healing; The Dharma of Complex Systems
Complex systems
Complex systems present problems in mathematical modelling.The equations from which complex system models are developed generally derive from statistical physics, information theory and non-linear dynamics, and represent organized but unpredictable behaviors of systems of nature that are considered...
; Technology, Ecology, and Society; and about the "Systems View of the World". Her teaching revolves around the core issues of ecological sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
and social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
how to create a healthy society that works for everyone. In 2004 and 2005 Debora Hammond participated in the Complex Systems Summer School at Santa Fe Institute
Santa Fe Institute
The Santa Fe Institute is an independent, nonprofit theoretical research institute located in Santa Fe and dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of the fundamental principles of complex adaptive systems, including physical, computational, biological, and social systems.The Institute houses a...
. Her primary purpose was to enhance the quality of the conference program by integrating current developments in the field of complex systems
Complex systems
Complex systems present problems in mathematical modelling.The equations from which complex system models are developed generally derive from statistical physics, information theory and non-linear dynamics, and represent organized but unpredictable behaviors of systems of nature that are considered...
. In 2008 she was promoted Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies in the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies at Sonoma State University
From 2005 to 2007 Dr. Hammond has also been coordinating the Northern California Earth Institute, an organization that nurtures community dialogue on themes relating to the environment and sustainable living. In 2005–2006 Debora Hammond was the President of International Society for the Systems Sciences
International Society for the Systems Sciences
The International Society for the Systems Sciences is a world-wide organization for systems sciences.- Overview :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."The idea...
(ISSS), in the year that the annual ISSS meeting was held at the Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University is a public, coeducational business and liberal arts college affiliated with the California State University system. The main campus is located in Rohnert Park, California, United States and lies approximately south of Santa Rosa and north of San Francisco...
.
Debora Hammond finds much of her inspiration in the wilderness, which is reflected in her work on environmental philosophy
Environmental philosophy
Environmental philosophy is a branch of philosophy that is concerned with the natural environment and humans' place within it. Environmental philosophy includes environmental ethics, environmental aesthetics, ecofeminism and environmental theology...
and ethics. She believes that social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
depends upon our ability to find more harmonious ways of living with the natural world
Natural World
Natural World is the longest-running nature documentary series on British television. 2008 marked the series' 25th anniversary under its present title, though its origins can be traced back to its predecessor The World About Us which began over 40 years ago...
.
Literature
Hammond has written and edited several articles and papers and one book:- 2003. The Science of Synthesis: Exploring the Social Implications of General Systems Theory, Colorado: University Press of Colorado, June 2003.
Articles, a selection
- 1995. "Perspectives from the Boulding files". In: Systems Research, Volume 12, Issue 4 (1995), p 281-290.
- 1995. "Cultural Diversity and the Systems View". In: Philosophy in the Contemporary World, 2: 1 (Spring 1995), pp. 7-12
- 1997. "The Use of Biological Metaphor in the Behavioral Sciences: Society as Organism, Ecosystem, or Irreducible Emergent". Paper presented at the biennial conference of the International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology in July 1997.
- 1997. "Ecology and Ideology in the General Systems Community". In: Environment and History, Volume 3, Number 2, June 1997, pp. 197-207
- 1998. "Historical Perspectives on the ISSS: Concluding Reflections". Paper presented at the 42nd Annual Conference of the International Society for the Systems Sciences July 18 - 25 1998, Held at Georgia Tech, Atlanta Georgia.
- 2002. "Exploring the genealogy of systems thinking". In: Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Vol 19, Issue 5, Pages 429 - 439.
- 2002. "Towards a new Meta-Systems Paradigm for Y3K". With G. Dyer, Y. Horiuchi, M. Otsubo And G. Rowland. In: Journal of Administration and Informatics. Vol 15 (1).
- 2005. Can "Complexity Studies Advance Sustainability?". With Timothy Foxon and Jennifer L Wells. Paper Complex Systems Summer School 2005, Santa Fe Institute.
- 2005. "Philosophical and Ethical Foundations of Systems Thinking". In: Triple C, Issue Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 20-27.
- 2006. "The life and work of James Grier Miller". With Jennifer WilbyJennifer WilbyJennifer M. Wilby is an American management scientist, and past Director of the Centre for Systems Studies, and a lecturer and researcher in management systems and sciences in The Business School, University of Hull...
. In: Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Volume 23, Issue 3, Pages 429 - 435.
External links
- Homepage Debora Hammond at the Sonoma State UniversitySonoma State UniversitySonoma State University is a public, coeducational business and liberal arts college affiliated with the California State University system. The main campus is located in Rohnert Park, California, United States and lies approximately south of Santa Rosa and north of San Francisco...
, 2007. - Source ISSS Incoming Presidential Address and preview of ISSS Cancun 2005 by Debora Hammond in: Conference program and abstract ISSS 49th annual meeting in Cacun 2005., p. 56.