Wicked problems in policy sciences are social problems that
perplex planners and policymakers because they lack clear solutions, and even
possible solutions can lead to more complex problems.
Wicked problems are quandaries without a clear solution
methodology. Social science, public policy, urban planning, and design theory
are all examples of wicked problems. Because they contain contradictory or
evolving elements, such social issues are difficult for activists and problem
solvers at the municipal and federal levels to address. Wicked problems are
problems worth solving, and they frequently necessitate collaborative effort,
but potential solutions may open the door to new ones.
Climate change is a major wicked problem of the twenty-first
century. Moving away from fossil fuels could be one solution. Nonetheless,
without the infrastructure to implement the change and knowledge of how it
would affect mining workers in poorer communities, such a shift poses new
challenges. It necessitates innovative design thinking as well as meticulous social
planning.
What Is the History of Wicked Problems?
Horst Rittel, a German design thinker, coined the phrase
"wicked problems" in a seminar at the University of California's
architecture department in the 1960s to contrast tame problems with clear-cut
and achievable solutions. C. West Churchman, an American theorist, questioned
the moral obligation of taming wicked problems in a 1967 editorial in
Management Science.
With the 1973 Policy Sciences article "Dilemmas in a
General Theory of Planning," Rittel and American urban designer Melvin M.
Webber popularized the concept even further.
Instead of something malicious, the adjective
"wicked" in "wicked problems" refers to the resistance to
resolution. Wicked problems are referred to as "social messes" by
some scientists and design theorists.
Wicked Problems Examples
Global warming: The effects of climate change, including
global warming, are a major consideration in today's social policies. Each new
day brings new data and increasingly complex, unique problems as politicians
look to adaptive solutions and sustainability as a way forward.
Health care: Health care is another example of a wicked
problem due to the number of issues it raises and its interdependence on
nutrition, wellness, aging, air quality, and a variety of other issues. The
issue of assisted suicide is one such difficult issue in health care.
Homelessness: Homelessness is a terrible problem because of
its ties to capitalism, which gives unhoused people little power over those who
can control housing prices in a free market.
4 Characteristics of Wicked Problems
Wicked problems may exhibit some of the characteristics
listed below.
1. Wicked problems are symptoms of larger problems. A bad
problem is usually a symptom of another issue. Wicked problems are real-world
issues that interact with other socioeconomic issues. Global climate change,
for example, is linked to homelessness—rising sea levels, for example, may
force people to flee their homes.
2. Wicked problems have facts but no true-or-false answers.
There are no true-or-false solutions to wicked problems, only better and worse
ones based on the criteria of the problem solvers.
3. Wicked problems do not resolve themselves through trial
and error. Trial and error are essential in the solution of design problems. In
wicked problems, each trial accounts for so much that it is more akin to a
one-shot operation, whereas a less complex problem can withstand frequent small
experiments.
4. Wicked problems do not have a stop rule. The stopping
rule in case studies tells stakeholders when to stop or continue a prototype
trial run based on previous events and data. Wicked problems lack this
fundamental component of the scientific experiment, which means the issues
linger, muddying decision-making.
3 Ways to Approach Wicked Problems
Because of the inherent difficulties of wicked problems,
researchers have long studied how to approach them. Nancy C. Roberts, a
researcher and professor emerita at the Naval Postgraduate School, proposed
three approaches for moving forward in 2001:
1. Be authoritative. This strategy places the handling
of difficult problems in the hands of a select few, with the understanding that
reducing the number of stakeholders reduces complexity.
2. Be collaborative. Collaborative solutions engage all
stakeholders to combine their best ideas during the problem-solving stage.
3. Be competitive. A competitive solution pits
companies against one another in order to accelerate the development of viable
solutions.
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