Phương pháp cứng của hệ thống (cũng được biết đến đầu tiên để điều khiển học) là có liên quan với các tình huống vấn đề trong đó có tương ứng giữa Holon và những thứ hay hiện tượng trong thế giới thực. Phương pháp hệ thống Mềm (thứ hai để điều khiển học), mặt khác, đối phó với các tình huống trong đó tương ứng như vậy không thể tồn tại, với holons khớp nối chỉ duy nhất cho mục đích của sự hiểu biết và là viết tắt cho các khuôn khổ tinh thần của một cá nhân. | 5 Soft System Methodology in the Management of Agroecosystem Health and Sustainability Concerns of a Tropical Highlands Agroecosystem INTRODUCTION Hard system methods also known as first-order cybernetics are concerned with problem situations in which there is correspondence between the holon and things or phenomena in the real world. Soft system methods second-order cybernetics on the other hand deal with situations in which such correspondence may not exist with the holons articulated solely for the purpose of understanding and as shorthand for the mental framework of an individual with a unique experiential or cognitive history on the relevant real-world situation Ison et al. 1997 . The objectives of a soft system analysis in agroecosystem health AESH and sustainability assessment are threefold. The first is to reveal the different and sometimes conflicting perspectives of stakeholders and the rationale behind each perception of a problem situation. This prepares the ground for mutual understanding and negotiation among the stakeholders a prerequisite to any sustainable improvements. The second objective is to serve as the basis for evaluating potential management options. As the agroecosystem evolves over time new aspects of the messy problem situation emerge requiring new analysis and synthesis as well as rethinking the management options. The third objective is the evaluation of agroecosystem performance. This can be done by comparing and contrasting holon characteristics over time and space. Several soft system approaches have been proposed Flood and Carson 1993 but the best documented is soft system methodology SSM . SSM is a set of organized principles based on systems thinking that guide action in trying to manage messy problem situations. SSM follows two interacting modes of inquiry that together lead to the implementation of changes to improve the situation. One of these the cultural stream consists of three examinations of the problem situation .
