Social System Mapping for Network Weaving

With Christine Capra, 22 Jan 2026

Image created by Weaving Lab

Summary

This session looked at ‘Social System Mapping’ as a way of synthesising social network analysis, asset mapping, and system mapping. The focus was visual representations of a network to accelerate relational and cognitive shifts within a community.

Key Learnings

• The “Vortex” Theory of Change: Mapping is not a one-time product but a recurring cycle of “acting, mapping, and reflecting.” This process creates a converging momentum that shifts both how we relate to each other and how we understand complex systems.
• The Two Essential Shifts:
  1. Relational Shift: Moving from a “separate self” to an “interdependent self” by fostering trust and belonging.
  2. Cognitive Shift: Moving from “linear/mechanistic thinking” to “complexity thinking,” becoming wise agents of systemic change.
• The Four “Character Carriers”: For a map to become a living support tool, four distinct perspectives are needed:
  i) Visionary: Sees the potential for a map and makes it happen
  ii) Technician: Handles the data gathering and visualization (using tools like sumApp and Kumu)
  iii) Sensemaker: Facilitates groups to navigate the complexity of the map and see emergent patterns
  iv) Storyteller: Creates a “through-line” to explain *why* the network is mapping and what is being learned.
• Visual vs. Textual Learning: Visual maps enter the mind through different pathways than linear text, fostering a more “embodied” understanding of a community’s web of relationships.
• Mapping “Energy”: While maps show dots and lines, they can reflect “energy” by visualizing where people cluster, where they collaborate, or where “appreciations” are densely concentrated.

Key Actions

• Move Beyond the “Directory” Phase: Don’t just use a map as a list of people. Use it to find “islands of coherence” and clusters of shared interest that can be leveraged for action.
• Start Simple and Layer Complexity: Begin mapping individuals and their basic connections. Only add organizational layers or complex resource mapping once the community feels comfortable with the basic tool.
• Engage in “Adaptive Action”: Use the “What? So what? Now what?” cycle to assess map data and take small, experimental steps to strengthen the network.
• Use the Map as an “Oracle”: Use it for interpersonal inquiry — randomly exploring profiles to spark unexpected connections and “quantum entanglement” between members.
• Develop “Discerning” Skills: Help network members move past the initial “overwhelm” of a map by teaching them to filter out noise and focus on the specific signals (questions) they need to answer.

— — -

Image created from transcript in wordclouds.com

References

Speaker:
Christine Capra: Co-founder of *Greater Than the Sum* and lead developer of the Social System Mapping methodology.
Denise Challenger & Ben Roberts: Leads of the Weaving Lab mapping team.

Get Weaving Lab’s stories in your inbox

Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.

Remember me for faster sign in

Software & Technology:
sumApp: A tool for gathering complex relational data for networks.
Kumu: A data visualization platform used to render the final interactive map.

Methodologies & Frameworks:
The Vortex: A theory of transformation for social system mapping.
SNA (Social Network Analysis): The technical foundation of network mapping.
Adaptive Action Cycle: (Human Systems Dynamics) “What? So what? Now what?”

Knowledge Base Categories:
1) Weaving Methods
2) Diversity And Inclusion