AbstractThis paper presents a short overview of my research project on systems thinking in culture studies. The paper objective is to discuss the findings in terms of established systems concepts to illustrate the pivotal role of systems concepts in the notion of ‘culture as system’. A global systems philosophy was the overriding criterion adopted for the research. This involved a complementary recourse to systems analysis and cybernetic ideas set within a holistic framework. The invariant features that are known to characterize complex open systems were also considered as contributory to a fuller understanding of culture as a sys