A new framework for change

We need a solid base camp from which to map new routes forward for humanity.

One that’s built on a shared understanding of how core human needs and motivations interact with social forces to shape and drive the dynamics of change. Imagine a theory that united perspectives from human psychology to anthropology, from the sociology of groups and organisations to political science and policy design.

Imagine if this theory was simple enough for anyone to understand, yet nuanced and practical enough to both diagnose the critical challenges currently facing us - in our communities, workplaces, and public institutions - and to develop new ways to tackle and solve them. Might such a theory not only enrich public debate but also enable us to overcome seemingly intractable divisions in the worldviews emerging from different social science disciplines and ideological starting points?

In his final RSA Chief Executive’s event, Matthew Taylor is joined in conversation by author, entrepreneur and CEO Margaret Heffernan to explore the core elements and implications of ‘coordination theory’ – a set of ideas he has been developing and refining for over a decade. He argues that the current inability of either the academy or the political mainstream to offer a broadly accepted account of the dynamics of change means that the science of human progress will continue to fall further behind the science of technological change, with potentially catastrophic results.

Read more about Coordination Theory in Matthew Taylor’s latest blog: https://www.thersa.org/blog/matthew-taylor

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