2026/03/16 by Christian Wille, Dominik Gerst · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Cross-Border Cooperation and Integration #Global Security and Public Health #Peacebuilding and International Security
paper · doi:10.1080/08865655.2026.2633123
openalex created_date 2026/02/27 · openalex publication_date 2026/03/16 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/11
Although references to complexity have become increasingly common in border studies, complexity often remains a vague metaphor rather than an analytical concept. Drawing on complexity theory, the paper proposes a refined framework that distinguishes between a complex order of the border (the internal structuring of bordering process elements) and a complex gestalt of the border (the emergent capacity to become visible and act as a border). Building on these analytical categories, the paper advances methodological principles for complexity-oriented border research, offering a novel heuristic for analyzing borders as complex composites characterized by non-linearity, interrelationality, and emergence.