More Than a Buzzword? Mapping Interpretations of the ‘Polycrisis’

This article critically examines the concept of polycrisis, tracing its evolution from rhetorical buzzword to an emerging analytical lens in sustainability and crisis research. Based on a Q-methodology study involving 50 experts, the authors identify four distinct framings of polycrisis: as analytically tractable, as networked shocks, as a global governance challenge, and as requiring conceptual stringency. While all experts agree that polycrisis spans sectors and borders—and reject the idea that it is merely a buzzword—they differ in their assessments of its underlying drivers and the reliability of existing knowledge systems. Drawing on Edgar Morin’s crisis theory (crisiology), the article presents polycrisis as a “metamorphic hinge,” where systemic breakdown and transformation unfold together. The authors argue that advancing polycrisis research requires pluralistic knowledge, structural analysis, and innovative, adaptive governance, positioning the concept as a critical lens for navigating systemic risks in the Anthropocene.