Tackling modern-day crises: Why understanding multilevel interconnectivity is vital

Area of Science:

• Environmental science
• Sociology
• Global health

Background:

• Modern societies face complex crises, exemplified by the coronavirus pandemic, indicating a loss of equilibrium with nature.
• These crises stem from multiple interacting causes across various scales and domains, necessitating a deeper analysis beyond proximate factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a multilevel analytical framework for understanding complex global crises.
• To advocate for a shift in perspective to better trace the causality of emergent global effects.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the coronavirus pandemic as a case study.
• Application of a four-level framework: proximate, human-environment-animal interface (One Health), socioeconomic context, and worldview.
• Examination of multilevel connecting patterns and nonlinear mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Proximate causes are insufficient for understanding complex crises; structural factors are crucial.
• A four-level analysis provides a more comprehensive understanding of global crises.
• Emergent global effects arise from nonlinear mechanisms and interconnected patterns.

Conclusions:

• A shift in mindset is essential for accurately tracing the causality of complex global crises.
• Future research should focus on multilevel connections and nonlinear dynamics to understand emergent global phenomena.
• Achieving equilibrium with nature requires addressing systemic and worldview-level factors.