When we examine “complexity” in multicultural societies, we can relate to the intricacies and convolutions represented by the intersections of identity, privilege and marginalization that define the cultural, social, historical and political dimensions of different populations and communities. This complexity increases in the face of immigration and economic globalization.
Complexity in societies today can be seen in the way people interact and the number of variables that need to be considered when trying to understand social systems. This complexity manifests itself in economic, political and social interactions. These interactivity and interconnectivity make it difficult to isolate any one factor to understand how or why a system works the way it does. Making changes to complex systems can be difficult and even challenging to predict the impact of those changes. Today, in addition to the complexities of society, the scale of wicked problems is also expanding, linking with global supply chains and having global social, economic and environmental impacts on larger timescales. Addressing these complexities places increasing demands on academia across fields. A single discipline cannot resolve conversations around current economic models to address more critical systemic problems alone. The proposed paper will discuss in detail the process and initial findings of a brainstorming workshop aimed at uncovering rich and diverse perspectives on current topics. The workshop brought together an interdisciplinary group of 11 scholars to discuss the challenges and opportunities in understanding and responding to the complexities of a multicultural society.

Authors:
Jesvin Puay-Hwa Yeo, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Hedren Wai Yuan Sum, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Jesvin Yeo is an Associate Professor of Design Art at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Her research explore applied design in different fields and integrates functional, emotional and social aspects according to actual needs.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesvinyeo/

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jesvin-Yeo

Additional website of interest
https://www.designingculturesstudio.com/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

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