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APS 1015: Social Entrepreneurship

Class 2: Deep Dive into Social Systems

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Instructors:Norm Tasevski (norm@socialentrepreneurship.ca) Alex Kjorven (alex@socialentrepreneurship.ca)

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Agenda

• Recap of the Basics of Social Systems• Systems Change – Discussion• Systems Mapping – Class Exercise• Break• Prep for Tomorrow

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Social Systems (Recap from Last Week)…

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What is a System?

“A set of "Things” (people, organizations, objects…) that are

interconnected in such a way that they form their own pattern of behaviour over time”

Donella Meadows

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System Behaviour

• A system creates/causes its own responses• Outside forces can influence system response,

but don’t cause the response• The same outside force that acts upon two

different systems can therefore elicit two different responses

• Example: the flu virus

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System Components

1. Elements2. Interconnections3. Functions/Purpose

Example: Soccer (Football)

Elements

Interconnections

Purpose

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System Components

• Elements– Tangible (people, buildings)– Intangible (team pride, learned skills)

• Interconnections– Physical flows (e.g. objects moving)– Information flows (e.g. rules, instructions)

• Function/Purpose– Intended responses (e.g. goal to win a soccer match)– Unintended responses (e.g. violence after a soccer

match)

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Systems Change

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Importance of Systems Change

• Systems are dynamic (not static) they naturally change

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Importance of Systems Change

• Systems, if left alone, can create adverse consequences

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Systems Mapping

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Cause and Effect Chains

Effect:– A symptom of a social condition– The symptom disappears if the cause underlying the

condition is addressed

Cause:– The underlying reason why a symptom exists– Proximate Causes: a cause closely related to an effect– Ultimate Causes: a cause more distantly related to an

effect• The ultimate cause is the key bottleneck – the most

important part of the chain!

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Cause and Effect Chain - Example

Poverty

ResultEffect

Hunger

Cause (Proximate)

Can’t grow enough food

Cause (Ultimate)

Bad soil?

Soil erosion?

Not enough water?

Not enough labour?

Over-used soil?

Don’t know how to

prevent it

Rains too hard

Changing rain

patterns?

No irrigation resources?

People sick?

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“5 Whys”

• Effect => Hunger. Why?

• Hunger => Can’t grow enough food. Why?

• Can’t grow enough food = Bad soil. Why?

• Bad soil => Soil erosion. Why?

• Soil erosion => Rains too hard...Etc…Etc…

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The Vicious Circle

• A symptom (effect) of a social condition can also be a cause, which then serves to further deepen the social condition

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Vicious Circle - Example

Poverty

ResultEffect

Hunger

Cause (Proximate)

Can’t grow enough food

Cause (Ultimate)

Bad soil?

Soil erosion?

Not enough water?

Not enough labour?

Over-used soil?

Don’t know how to

prevent it

Rains too hard

Changing rain

patterns?

No irrigation resources?

People sick?

Malnutrition

Poor Health

Hunger could therefore be both an effect and a

cause of poverty

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Vulnerability vs. Resiliency

• Vulnerability– The reduced ability for elements within a system to

withstand shocks to the system– Examples of shocks:

• A crop failure/drought• A health crisis/new illness

• Resiliency– The absence of vulnerability (i.e. the ability to absorb

shocks to a system)

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Turning Vulnerability into Resiliency

• Reduce the likelihood of incidents that induce vulnerability – E.g. reduce spread of illness with mosquito spray

campaign

• Lessen the severity of incidents that induce vulnerability– E.g. reduce severity of drought with irrigation

• Improve one’s ability to cope with vulnerability-inducing incidents– E.g. provide insurance to farmers to cope with drought

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“Root Causes of Poverty” Workshop

Tabe Ere

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Step 1: The Case

Read the case (5 Minutes)

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Step 2: Cause and Effect

Document the causes and effects of poverty in Tabe Ere, Ghana (10 minutes)

In groups:• Write each cause and effect on a separate sticky

note• Don’t sort the causes/effects just yet…

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Step 3: Cause and Effect Mapping

Map the causes and effects of poverty in Tabe Ere, Ghana (10 minutes)

In groups:• Sort the sticky notes according to effect,

proximate cause and ultimate cause

EffectCause (Proximate)

Cause (Ultimate)

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Step 4: Present Your Map

Present your findings (10 minutes)

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Break

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Prep for Tomorrow

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What did we learn?