It may come as no surprise to you that some of the most challenging work available in computer science is to be found in the USA military.
A less obvious fact is that some of the most interesting work in the social sciences is also located inside the military industrial complex. (Whether it is OK to take this work if you are ‘opposed to war’ is something we can debate later.)
The Department of Defense Command and Control research project has something to teach you about societal change.
I wrote about this topic some years ago on INFOQ and how it relates to software agility.
Here is a sample of what the military is actually saying now:
Agile people conceive and approach the world and their assigned tasks differently from those who are less agile. In general, agile people have a propensity to seek improvements, are more willing to consider information that is at odds with preconceived notions, and are more willing to be different and take risks. These basic characteristics can be enhanced or suppressed by education, training, and culture. Unfortunately, many organizations, both large and small, suppress agility-enabling characteristics.
The changes in warfare reflect the new reality of big data, information asymmetry and other important societal trends. You can browse books and publications on the DoD site and obtain them for free. The site is a stimulating source of interesting ideas about collaboration and societal change.
Resources:
Web Page: About the Dept of Defense Command & Control Research Project
My Article: (circa 2010) on INFOQ: “The Command and Control Military Gets Agile”