Emergence in social science: Requirements, characteristics, and research challenges

• In Event: Complexity theories in education: Concepts, methods, and challenges

Abstract

Emergence is macro-level properties, arising from micro-level interactions. We argue that emergence should be treated as a rare phenomenon requiring stringent conditions, rather than a ubiquitous explanatory tool in social sciences. We identify critical challenges impacting the application of emergence in social science research, including definitional ambiguity, conceptual conflation with related phenomena, and measurement difficulties. Particularly problematic are insufficient construct definitions, inadequate measurement instruments, debates about units of analysis, and ambiguity regarding scale separation, all of which prohibit researchers from sufficiently understanding subsystem properties. Without detailed knowledge of component characteristics, claims of genuine emergent properties become invalid. The authors conclude that emergence, in the absence of rigorous measurement, theoretical, and philosophical standards, risks becoming an explanatory catch-all.

Authors

• Stephen D. Whitney, University of Missouri

• Wes Bonifay, University of Missouri