ABSTRACT
The focus of CSE is how humans can cope with and master the
complexity of processes and technological environments, initially in
work contexts but increasingly also in every other aspect of daily life.
The complexity of the current technological environment is not only
something that must be mastered but paradoxically also provides the
basis for the ability to do so. This entangling of goals and means is
mirrored in the very concepts and theories by which we try to
understand the situation of humans at work. To set the context, this
chapter gives an overview of the scientific developments of the 20 th
century that have shaped our thinking about humans and machines.
