aps1015 class 2: deep dive into social systems
DESCRIPTION
This lecture will be structured workshop-style. Students will work with Engineers without Borders to understand the process of systems mapping. Students will then create and analyze a systems map for a specific social system, which will then be used as the basis for the major group assignment.TRANSCRIPT
APS 1015: Social Entrepreneurship
Class 2: Deep Dive into Social Systems
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
1
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
2
Social Systems (Recap from Last Week)…
3
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
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
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
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
5
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
System Components
1. Elements 2. Interconnections 3. Functions/Purpose Example: Soccer (Football)
6
Elements
Interconnections
Purpose
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
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)
7
Systems Mapping
8
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
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!
9
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
Cause and Effect Chain - Example
10
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?
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
“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…
11
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
The Vicious Circle
• A symptom (effect) of a social condition can also be a cause, which then serves to further deepen the social condition
12
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
Vicious Circle - Example
13
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
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
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)
14
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
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
15
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
16
“Root Causes of Poverty” Workshop
Tabe Ere
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
Step 1: The Case
Read the case (5 Minutes)
17
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
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…
18
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
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
19
Effect Cause (Proximate)
Cause (Ultimate)
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
Step 4: Present Your Map
Present your findings (10 minutes)
20
Break
21
Major Group Assignment
22
© Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji
What did we learn?
23