In relation to this point by Klaus thought I could add another piece of literature to Ken's list, which is this book by Schon and Rein called Frame Reflection. In it they discuss (in the preface think, which is interesting) their difficult time with MIT administrators who did not see the value of some project they were working on, and perhaps have a different definition of the problem the department was facing. I can't remember the details.
Also I've come to think that Herbert Simon's theory of design, esp in relation to the openness to new goals, sometimes makes tame problems wicked, or else also dissolves wicked problems. Or perhaps I would prefer the term ill-defined problem, since some of the conditions in RW's wicked problems don't apply. I am interested in the way problems get different definitions. For Simon, we sometimes, when designing, say on a solution that we call agree with (and so is rather "tame") achieve some unintended consequence that turns out rather attractive, even significant, and there's potential for the design now to solve a different problem. And some members of the team think that's good, that we should focus on the new goal, and others want to stay on the original, and a schism, with infighting breaks out. So there is no dissonance, if you like, in the nature of the problem, esp if funding to solve it can only serve one or the other goal. The other way may work as well: a group of people fight over the definition of a problem, and so its wicked, and then when the design project begins anyway (perhaps someone forces his agenda through), it leads to an unintended consequence, and if all parties with each their original different definition of the problems see this new potential and all equally find it attractive and think it is most significant, then the wicked problem gets dissolves somewhat, since we all now share the same goal, and interpretation of the solution.
All best
J
-----Original Message-----
Klaus wrote:
sixth: in my understanding of wicked problems is that they could become resolved or made to disappear, for example, by reframing the discrepancy between what is and what should be with the consent of the interested parties, or disappear in view of more important issues to be addressed.
cheers
klaus
-----Original Message-----
National Institute of Education (Singapore) http://www.nie.edu.sg
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