About the TCCR

LEARN ABOUT THE COGNOSYSTEMIC THEORY

General Definition of the TCCR

The Cognosystemic Theory of Human Psychosocial Relational Construction (TCCR) constitutes a unified theoretical framework, conceived as a metatheory designed to coherently and consistently explain how individuals and collectives construct, negotiate, and transform their psychosocial reality through intersubjective narrative processes. It is based on the premise that such reality is not an objective or pre-existing entity, but is configured through the creation and exchange of meanings in interaction networks that span multiple ecosystemic levels of society.

The “Cognosystem” constitutes the central concept and must be approached rigorously from a theoretical standpoint. According to the TCCR, the construction of psychosocial reality is mediated by sociocultural mega-structures of meaning called Cognosystems, understood as interconnected and mutually dependent webs—a kind of mesh—of multiple ecosystemic human narrative systems.

A Cognosystem is therefore defined as a higher-level ecosystemic narrative suprasystem, that is, the total set of narrative systems of meaning present in a given society. In other words, the TCCR holds that each society is socioculturally structured by a Cognosystem as a suprasystem of human signification, which configures its particular “reality,” along with the social structures and institutions that comprise it.

However, a Cognosystem is not a static psychosocial architecture; rather, it corresponds to a global structure that integrates and interconnects multiple narrative systems operating at the micro, meso, exo, and macro levels. Within this suprasystem, meanings circulate, are negotiated, adapted, and transformed constantly under the influence of historical, cultural, linguistic, and power factors.

IMPORTANT: It is fundamental to emphasize that a “Cognosystem” should never be conceptually associated with the internal world of an isolated “individual,” as this constitutes a conceptual error. The Cognosystem must always be associated with a specific society. However, the individuals who are part of that society are inevitably impacted by the Cognosystem and, in turn, contribute—to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the case—to the configuration of said sociocultural Cognosystem.

In this logic, the TCCR innovatively proposes a systemic-relational ontology that conceives the human being as essentially a social and relational being, whose development, identity, and well-being are deeply rooted in the webs of bonds that constitute psychosocial reality. Likewise, it posits an epistemology based on the cognosystemic analysis of human reality, understood as the convergence between the cognitive and the systemic to comprehend how individuals construct their world through interconnected narratives at different ecosystemic levels. Finally, it suggests the development of an ecosystemic-narrative professional intervention methodology for Social Work, oriented toward addressing psychosocial problems in an integral manner, organically articulating the micro, meso, and macro dimensions, and promoting relational transformation along with social justice.

Thus, the TCCR presents itself as a direct response to the theoretical shortcomings and fragmentations that have historically marked Social Work, with the objective of providing the discipline with its own coherent and autonomous conceptual framework. In this line, it seeks to begin the journey of consolidating the discipline of Social Work as the social and human science of relationality, proposing a rigorous and updated ontological, epistemological, and methodological approach. With this, it is intended that professionals in the field deepen their capacity for understanding and strengthen their tools to intervene in psychosocial reality from a critical, integrative, and transformative perspective.

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Author

SW. Jalin Simunovic Menares

The author of this innovative paradigm is a Chilean social worker with over 15 years of experience in systemic psychosocial intervention, specializing in children and adolescents, families, and organizations. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Work and a Master's in Family Law and Family Intervention, with diplomas and specializations in systemic therapy, public management and policy, and organizational development.

Currently, he works in the public service of his country, Chile, in the People Management and Development area of JUNJI. Throughout his professional career, he has led child protection programs (PRM, OPD, and DAM-Arica) in his locality, with extensive experience in specialized psychosocial diagnosis and intervention processes in critical contexts for Family Courts and the Public Prosecutor's Office.

As a university lecturer, he has trained professionals and technicians in Social Work, as well as facilitators and intervention agents in various educational and community contexts. His work combines social research, theoretical innovation, and organizational leadership, consolidating him as a reference in the integration of critical thinking with professional practice.

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Foundational Book of the TCCR

“Cognosystemic Theory of Human Psychosocial Relational Construction TCCR: A unified theoretical proposal for Social Work”
By Jalin Simunovic | Social Ius Ediciones (2025)

A Voice of Its Own for Social Work

What happens when Social Work decides to speak with its own voice and stop borrowing the alphabet of other disciplines? A work like Cognosystemic Theory of Human Psychosocial Relational Construction (TCCR) is born, a book that gathers, orders, and elevates decades of scattered debates to offer an integrative metatheory at the service of social intervention and research.

With rigorous yet accessible writing, Simunovic proposes a map to understand how we construct meanings in relation—from the intimate to the collective—and how that web of meanings can be transformed to open paths to well-being, justice, and fulfillment.

What will you find in the pages of this work?

• The guiding idea of the "Cognosystem": the great mega-network of interconnected narratives that constitutes a society, and that regulates the construction and circulation of meaning within it.

• Narrative as a system: elements, functions, and life cycle of narrative systems (emergence, development, maturity, decline/transformation, and renewal).

• Dynamics of cognosystemic change: Beta (stability), Alpha (crisis), and Delta (reorganization) phases to understand and guide processes of psychosocial transformation.

• Narrative hierarchies and power: how hegemonic narratives arise, how they are contested, and what mechanisms allow for their displacement.

• The cognosystemic meme: the vehicles of meaning that disseminate, consolidate, or erode narratives at different ecosystemic levels.

• A proposed classification of narrative systems: from the intrapersonal and interpersonal to the organizational and sociocultural.

• Applicable theorization methodology (abduction, deduction, and induction) that connects theory and practice without losing its ethical north.

Why does it matter for the profession?

Because the TCCR responds to a historical deficiency: Social Work has excelled in intervention, but has often relied on external theories to explain itself. This work changes the script and offers its own coherent and operational framework that:

• Integrates micro, meso, and macro into a single lens.

• Translates philosophy and social sciences into the realm of concrete decisions.

• Recognizes relational interdependence as the ontology of the social.

• Provides language and tools to diagnose, intervene, and evaluate narrative changes with a sense of social justice.

Who is this book for?

• Social Work professionals in clinical, community, educational, and public policy settings.

• Teachers and researchers seeking a metatheory with explanatory power and applicability.

• Students who want a navigational chart to traverse complexity without oversimplifying it.

• Interdisciplinary teams that require a common language to intervene in dynamic realities.

• The general public interested in learning about this explanatory paradigm of human psychosocial phenomena.

Reading (and practical use) tips

• Read it with a pencil in hand: the book invites you to map narratives, detect frictions between layers, and name the memes acting in your context.

• Take it from paper to practice: use the Beta–Alpha–Delta phases to plan interventions, anticipate resistance, and measure progress.

• Add it to your toolbox: the TCCR does not replace what you already do well; it orders, integrates, and enhances it.

Five key ideas that will make you underline (though there are many more)

1. The Cognosystem as a suprasystem that gives psychosocial (ecosystemic) coherence to society and, at the same time, allows for evolution in both the individual and collective spheres of people.
2. Emotions as catalysts for narrative change (not mere companions).
3. Narrative power is contested; understanding its mechanisms opens possibilities for action.
4. "Memes" are key to disseminating, mutating, or halting meanings.
5. Narrative plasticity: every narrative can be transformed if we understand its structure and its links.

Style and tone

Academic rigor, yes; but with clear prose that converses with professional experience. The text alternates between philosophical-sociological foundations, systemic-relational tools, and practical guidance, without losing the warmth of someone who knows the terrain.

Book details

• Title: Cognosystemic Theory of Human Psychosocial Relational Construction TCCR: A unified theoretical proposal for Social Work.

• Author: Jalin Simunovic.

• Publisher: Social Ius Ediciones.

• Year: 2025.

• Location: Arica, Chile.

Available in physical format (international shipping). Ideal for marking, dog-earing pages, and returning to your notes again and again.

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GENERAL THREE-DIMENSIONAL PROPOSAL OF THE TCCR FOR SOCIAL WORK (SUMMARY)

The “Cognosystemic Theory of Human Psychosocial Relational Construction” (TCCR) proposes, in general terms, three fundamental pillars or dimensions for this new paradigm: a) a relational (systemic) ontology, b) an epistemology based on the cognosystemic analysis of human reality, and c) an ecosystemic-narrative professional intervention methodology for Social Work. 

The TCCR emerges as a direct response to the historical theoretical shortcomings and fragmentations of Social Work, seeking to provide the discipline with its own coherent conceptual framework.

Below is a summarized description of each of these elements proposed by the TCCR:

1. ONTOLOGY: Relational/Systemic Approach for Social Work

The TCCR proposes that the ontology of Social Work should focus on the inherently social and relational nature of the human being, as well as on the configuration, mediation, and transformation of the relational webs that constitute psychosocial reality.

Key points of the proposal:

• The human being as a social and relational being: The TCCR conceives people not in isolation, but as intrinsically linked to their relationships and social contexts, developing through group and social interactions. Identity and well-being are deeply rooted in this relational fabric.

• Interdependence of social problems: From this perspective, psychosocial problems cannot be understood individually, but are interconnected with social structures and interpersonal dynamics. The TCCR emphasizes that social reality is an "interrelated and dynamic whole."

• The "psychosocial" as the core: The TCCR focuses on the "psychosocial intersection" of reality (mind and society) because it considers that it is precisely in this area where Social Work can make its greatest theoretical and practical contribution. This choice is an implicit critique of theories that address reality in an isolated manner, without connecting subjectivity with intersubjective constructions.

• Social Work as the "social science of human relationality": The TCCR aims to refine the ontology of Social Work, positioning it as the fundamental social science dedicated to the "relational structuring of the human being in society." This seeks to overcome the perception of Social Work as a merely applied or technical discipline.

2. EPISTEMOLOGY: Cognosystemic Analysis of Human Reality

The TCCR proposes an epistemology based on the cognosystemic analysis of human reality, which implies a convergence of cognitive and systemic processes to understand how individuals construct their reality through interconnected narratives.

Key points of the proposal:

• Constructed and systemic knowledge: The epistemology of the TCCR is based on phenomenology, constructivism, and social constructionism, postulating that social reality is constructed through interactions and shared narratives (intersubjectivity). Knowledge is not innate but emerges from collective experience and social interaction. On the other hand, the term "cognosystemic" unites the cognitive/narrative (mental processes and meaning) with the systemic (interconnected interactions).

• The "Cognosystem" as the unit of analysis: This is the central concept of the TCCR and its fundamental analytical unit. It is understood as a systemic mega-web of socioculturally interconnected meaning construction, where Narrative Systems (considered the basic unit of the Cognosystem) are organized at various ecosystemic levels (micro, meso, exo, macro) and mutually influence each other through feedback and the dynamics of cognosystemic change.

• Critical perspective and reflexivity: The TCCR integrates a critical perspective, recognizing that knowledge is influenced by power relations and structures of oppression. It advocates for the professional's "reflexivity," methodologically questioning assumptions and promoting the inclusion of marginalized voices.

• Narrative approach as a matrix of meaning: "Cognosystemic narratives" are understood as "systems of human meaning" that organize the perception of the world and are fundamental for the autopoiesis (self-organization) and evolution of human systems in general.

3. METHODOLOGY: Ecosystemic-Narrative Professional Intervention

Consistent with its ontology and epistemology, the TCCR proposes an ecosystemic and narrative professional intervention methodology for Social Work. It is based on the idea that intervention must be multidimensional and multilevel, addressing psychosocial problems integrally from the constant analysis of human meaning construction.

Key points of the proposal:

• Ecosystemic approach as a reorientation: The TCCR advocates for a reorientation toward a more ecosystemic theoretical approach, recognizing the ontologically relational and ecosystemic nature of Social Work, from its most elementary ideological components. This implies going beyond individual problems, proposing to look, at the same time, at the social structures and systems that constitute the real genesis of human phenomena, and that, in many cases, perpetuate inequalities in society.

• Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model: It is no secret that the TCCR is directly inspired by this model, organizing human psychosocial construction into interrelated ecosystemic levels: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. The intervention, therefore, must be consistent with these multiple levels.

• Relational and narrative intervention in multiple fields: The TCCR proposes applying this ecosystemic perspective to intervention in case/family work, groups, community, and Clinical Social Work. In all these areas, the need to understand and transform the relational and narrative patterns underlying the problems is emphasized.

• Empowerment and social justice: The intervention seeks not only to solve problems, but also to promote the empowerment of subjects and the transformation of social structures toward inclusion and social justice.

• Development of methodological tools: The TCCR seeks to inspire the development of methodologically robust and flexible cognosystemic tools for diagnosis, research, and intervention, which allow for multilevel articulation between the micro, meso, and macro dimensions of social intervention.

In summary, the TCCR represents a considerable effort to unify and strengthen the theoretical basis of Social Work. Its ontological, epistemological, and methodological proposals are coherent with each other and seek to address the historical weaknesses of the discipline. 

The TCCR, therefore, not only describes what psychosocial reality is, but also proposes how it should be understood and how to intervene in it from a unique and transformative perspective of Social Work. The effectiveness of these proposals, however, will require continuous empirical validation and flexible adaptation to the challenges of professional practice in diverse contexts.

CURRENT SOCIAL WORK VS. THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL PROPOSAL OF THE TCCR

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