[DSRP Evidence](https://dsrpevidence.org/)

# Systems Thinking and Satire

## Details

**Authors** Kossack

**Year** 2026

**Publisher** Master of Fine Arts thesis, Department of Film and Media Arts, Syracuse University (SURFACE repository)

**Kind of work** thesis

**Discipline** Arts & Humanities

**Secondary disciplines** Systems Science

**Reading level** intermediate

**Kind of engagement** scholarly

[Read it](https://surface.syr.edu/thesis/1031)

## In authors' words

### Abstract

In this thesis, I explore the relationship between satire and systems thinking, drawing on the DSRP (Distinctions, Systems, Relationships, Perspectives) theory of Systems Thinking developed by Dr. Derek Cabrera as a lens through which to examine satire as both a creative and cognitive phenomenon. In my view, satire functions not merely as a tonal mode of storytelling but as a deliberate cognitive engagement that operates on the audience's preexisting mental models, subverting and reorganizing them to generate new meaning. Referencing well-known satirical works of cinema, including Dr. Strangelove and Brazil, I aim to articulate how satire uses humor and absurdity to bypass instinctual rejection of difficult subject matter, creating space for empathetic and critical reflection. I then apply this framework to three of my own films, Perfect Family of the Brighter Tomorrow (2024), Don't Drink Coffee (2025), and Man of the Moment (2026), examining how writing, directing, cinematography, and mise-en-scene function in concert to produce satirical meaning around the themes of wealth, class, generations, privilege, and power.

### What they set out to do (purpose)

Kossack explored the relationship between satire and systems thinking, using DSRP as a framework for understanding how satire works as a cognitive process. He analyzed well-known satirical films and three of his own films to examine how storytelling, writing, directing, cinematography, and visual design can challenge and reorganize audiences’ existing mental models.

### What they found (results)

Kossack argues that satire works by engaging preexisting mental models and then “subverting and reorganizing them to generate new meaning.” Satire challenges familiar distinctions, systems, relationships, and perspectives, allowing audiences to reconsider assumptions and perceive meanings they may not have noticed before. He further proposes that humor and absurdity can reduce instinctive rejection of difficult material, creating space for empathy, reflection, and more complex critical thought.

## Commentary

### In short

Applies Cabrera's DSRP theory by name as the analytic lens for understanding satire as a cognitive phenomenon that restructures an audience's mental models.

### Response

An MFA thesis using DSRP as the analytic lens for satire as a cognitive process, arguing that satire works by engaging existing mental models and then subverting and reorganizing them. Applied to well-known satirical films and three of the author's own.

**Patterns it shows** D, S, R, P

**Added** 2026-08-01

**How to cite this** Kossack (2026). Systems Thinking and Satire. Master of Fine Arts thesis, Department of Film and Media Arts, Syracuse University (SURFACE repository).