Rethinking Complexity in Border Studies

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.