APS1015 Class 2: Deep Dive into Social Systems

APS 1015: Social Entrepreneurship

Class 2: Deep Dive into Social Systems

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

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Instructors: Norm Tasevski ([email protected]) Karim Harji ([email protected])

© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji

Agenda

•  Recap of the Basics of Social Systems •  Systems Mapping – Class Exercise •  Break •  Overview of Major Assignment •  Next week

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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


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.  Elements 2.  Interconnections 3.  Functions/Purpose Example: Soccer (Football)

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Elements

Interconnections

Purpose


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 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

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Poverty

Result Effect

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?


“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

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Poverty

Result Effect

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


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


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

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Effect Cause (Proximate)

Cause (Ultimate)


Step 4: Present Your Map

Present your findings (10 minutes)

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Break

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Major Group Assignment

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What did we learn?

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APS1015 Class 2: Deep Dive into Social Systems

Business

Transcript of APS1015 Class 2: Deep Dive into Social Systems