Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to Analyzing Social Complexity: Adaptive Complex Systems Perspective

Abstract

The study of social complexity has become an unavoidable necessity in light of growing global challenges affecting contemporary societies, such as climate change, structural inequalities, sociopolitical conflicts, and digital transformation. This paper proposes an analytical approach based on the theory of complex adaptive systems (CAS), which allows for the interpretation of social systems as dynamic entities shaped by multiple nonlinear interactions among diverse agents. The study is structured around three key pillars: the theoretical foundations of social complexity, transdisciplinary research methods that integrate various disciplinary perspectives, and applied models that simulate complex and emergent scenarios.The CAS approach acknowledges the dynamic, unpredictable, and evolving nature of social systems, where self-organization, adaptability, and coevolution are core mechanisms. Through this framework, it becomes possible to analyze how individual and collective decisions generate global patterns that in turn influence system behavior, enabling the identification of critical leverage points for intervention. Tools such as agent-based models, complex network theory, and chaos theory are highlighted for their relevance in exploring phenomena such as community resilience, social innovation, and collaborative governance.This approach proves particularly valuable for scholars, policymakers, and public administrators, as it offers a more holistic and context-sensitive understanding of social problems, moving beyond the reductionist perspective of traditional models. Ultimately, the complex adaptive systems perspective emerges as a powerful lens to address contemporary challenges through a logic of complexity, interdependence, and continuous transformation