Song, Andrew M. (2018) Book review of "Governing Complex Systems: social capital for the Anthropocene" by Oran Young. Cambridge, MA, USA, MIT Press, 2017. ISBN: 978-0-262-53384-3. Review Of Policy Research, 35 (3). pp. 495-497.

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Abstract

[Extract] Oran Young, a renowned senior scholar in the field of international governance and environmental institutions, has written an ambitious treatise that engages with an important topic of current times––governing complex systems in the era of the Anthropocene. His intention is clear. We are now living in a world of human-dominated ecosystems where the capacity of humans to alter biophysical systems has reached a planetary scale. We must devise innovative governing mechanisms that differ from those already familiar to us and use them as alternatives or supplements to the regulatory approach of dealing with large-scale complex social-ecological phenomena. The need to create governance systems that are nimble or agile, and also adaptable to changing circumstances, is thus palpable. It is in this context that he brings social capital into focus. This stance is encouraging. Yet, the substance with which he promotes his thesis is less dense (and even somewhat disappointing), as he relies on a collection of previously published essays that are refurbished here to connect with the theme of social capital.

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