Coupling and complexity at the global scale: flows, networks, interconnectedness and synchronicity (e.g. Covid-19)

Abstract

The argument of this paper is that the notions of coupling and complexity introduced by Perrow to discuss high-risk technologies need to be scaled up from their original scope to a wider, global one considering the evolution of the operational landscape of safety–critical systems. One value of Perrow in the 1980 s was to trigger core debates, contributing to a new form of causal reasoning. It provided a way of thinking about causality within a context of expanding sociotechnical systems such as nuclear power plants, civil commercial aviation or petroleum infrastructures. In the 2020 s, high-risk technologies do not only represent potential for single catastrophic events anymore but are also the sources of wider problems associated with globalised flows (systemic risks) and ecological degradation known as anthropocene (leading to existential risks). In this context, the scope, scale and timeframe of high-risk systems is extended in comparison to Perrow’s original work. In these new circumstances, coupling and complexity categories apply to a much wider spectrum of issues than initially conceived by Perrow and notions such as flows, nodes, networks, interconnectedness, and synchronicity should be incorporated to illustrate a move to the global stage. After a presentation and discussion of Perrow’s coupling and interaction, the “global turn” in research is discussed, using sociology and history as examples. It is followed by the contribution by Guillén on the “architecture of collapse” characterising our contemporary era. Its implications for safety science research are then explored using Covid-19 as an example.