Intro Systems Thinking

Worldviews

"Epistemological structures for interpreting realty that ground their picture of 'reality' in their own construction

Weaknesses of Mechanistic Approach

'If you can't measure it, the result or phenomena must not be real' Drugs can be toxic to people and the environment Surgery is always risky and even when diagnostically relevant, not always helpful ( ie. Some kinds of back surgeries 50% better or 50% worse) Not individualized Effect whole person not just intended target EXPENSIVE AND NON-SUSTAINABLE Not open minded = ORTHODOX Medicine

Duality (

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The Three Dimensions of the Great Turning

1. Actions to slow the damage of Earth and its beings 2. Analysis of structural causes and the creation of structural alternatives (To free ourselves and our planet from the damage being inflicted by the Industrial Growth Society, we must understand its dynamics) 3. Shift in Consciousness (deep ecology, ecofeminism, simple living movement)

Characteristics of Social Systems (One)

1. Social systems are inherently insensitive to most policy changes that people choose in an effort to alter the behavior of systems -social systems draw attention to the very points at which an attempt to intervene will fail.

Basic Aspects of Systems

1. The whole system is greater than teh sum of the parts. -If you took the system apart and only looked at its parts, you would no longer have systemic-level behavior 2. Every system is composed of subsystems and itself part of a larger system 3. How systems behavior relate to how a system sustains itself and how it responds to changing conditions. No such thing as "the balancing of nature"

Challenge to Educators

1. be aware of interconnections, systems thinking, interconnections, multiple perspectives 2. gain some skill understading & apply it 3. when & how did we first see the world through the sustainable view 4. how can we teach or construct experiences to understand and relfect on meaning

Paradigm of modernist thinking

1. problem-solving 2. analysis 3. reductionism 4. cause-effect 5. atomism 6. narrow boundaries 7. objectivism 8. dualism 9. rationalism 10. derminism Used to be successful, but now increases complexity and uncertainty in economic, social and ecological systems

Simplistic Answeres

1. the world is chaotic and human social activity is not susceptible to systematic analysis- the wrodl is unstable, disordered, and unpredictable 2. far simpler to construct the model than to understand it and fit it to the relevant policy context

The Question of Evidence

2 non interbreeding species with similar characteristcs in the same georgraphic location Even if they coexist you look again and try to see ecological similarites you overlooked

Characteristics of Social Systems (Two)

2. Social systems seem to have a few sensitive influence points through which behavior can be changed. System dynamics models suggest sensitive control points for increasing the world-wide quality of life exist in the rate of generation of capital investment and in food production, but that expansion of industrialization and food output are the counter productive directions, both should be restrained.

Education for a Sustainable Future

3 Systems; environmental, economic & social Sustainability needs to be viwed through mutliple perspectives education not found it easy to shift from readily specific, descrete educational topics to a more intergrated systems approach

Adaption vs. Addiction

Addiction differs 1. we take an action whose consequence raises the percieved health, but not the actual health of the system 2. our action actually damages the system's real health

Yin

Also emphasizes an internal focus, which for CM can be seen as the Yin. with this internal focus there is the focus on both the internal and the external—not all internal.

Urban Systems

Any proposed social program should take into account the eventual shifts that will occur in teh many components of attractiveness efforts to improve some condition of a city will result primarily in increasing populaton until other conditions deteriorate to reestablish an equilibrium

Principles of Systemic Behavior

Apply directly to the process of addiction and contain the seeds of a solution

Deforestation

As has been discussed for several decades with Climate Change-- plants and trees take in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Less forests means less carbon sequestration. Idea of trees/forest as Yin, for example in relation to us more Yang humans. Trees stationary, don't move around, don't go from class to class—stay still and have a cooling effect on planet, which is Yin—YIN DOWN, YANG UP

Exclusion Principle and Darwin

As new species in the course of time are formed through natural selection, others will become rarer and rarer until they're extinct

Breaking the Cycle of Organizational Addiction

Becoming addicted to old ways of operating and making decisions, thus failing to function well in a new environment.

Flux-balance

Chinese worldview the entire cosmos consists of dynamic energy fields, constantly in flux translated to "vital force or power" Constantly transforming "incessant activity of life creativity" Includes the deep structure and process of life itself More dynamic view

Ecology

Competition is avoided between some of the species that coexist in time by seperation in space Many complex contingencies on which the existence of each species depends

Dynamics of Urban Systems

Computer models structure showed how industry, housing, and people interact with each other as city grows and decays. Actions believed to alleviate the difficultires of a city can actually make matters worse. Investigation showed how depressed areas in cities arise from excess low-income housing rather than from a commonly presumed housing shortage. A social trap is created where excess low-cost housing beckons low-income people inward because of the available housing. Unemployed people continue coming to a city until their numbers sufficiently exceed the available jobs that the standard of living declines far enough to stop further inflow. Any change, which would otherwise raise the standard of living, only takes off the economic pressure momentarily and causes population to rise enough that the standard of living again falls to the barely tolerable level. A self-regulating system is thereby at work which drives the condition of the depressed area down far enough to stop the inflow of people

Raising the Quality of Life

Considerable doubt that urban programs have been contributing to the national quality of life -means releasing stress from crowding, reducing population, alleviating hunger, and treating the ill. But if 1 pressure is relaxes, population will then move in until other pressures rise to top the inflow. Depressed cities are created by a combo of forces in which there is a job shortage and a housing excess

Speaking Nature's Language: Principles for Sustainability

Design sustainable societies by modeling them after nature's ecosystems

Genetics

Discrete alleles at the same gene locus competing for existence within a single population of organisms is perfectly isomoprhic with the system of different species of organisms competing for existence in the same habitat and ecological niche

Mechanistic - "Outward"

Dualistic Emphasis on pathogens, disease, external Identify the specific cause and treat Emphasis on the physical - anatomy, physiology - and now the genome (genetic engineering) Even in psychiatry - 'We are our biochemistry' It is based on Newtonian concepts, the laws of physics and chemistry Follows the laws of electromagnetism It is electrical in nature and it travels at a velocity less than electromagnetic light It has + energy and + mass It involves the matter and cells of the body We use drugs that have mechanisms influencing the processes in the body BODY MIND SPIRIT (EMOTIONS) Seperate

Difference between systems thinking & Ecological thought

Ecological thinking (relational), systems thinking is not necessarily ecological It can be used as methodology for anti-ecological, but can also help sow the seeds of an ecological worldview

Tiller's 5 Areas of data the Mechanistic Paradigm fails to explain

Energy Fields that are completely different than those known by conventional science Phenomena that follow a different path than the usual space time framework Phenomena that violate the 2nd law of thermodynamics (entropy) Radiation patterns or holograms of energy that act as envelopes for the organization of substance on a physical level Evidence that at some level all substance in the universe is connected

Indira's Net

Enormous net stretching across the universe. Endless nets crisscrossing one another. Multifaceted jewel reflecting every other jewel. John Muir "when we try to pick out anything by itself we find it hitched to something else." Provides an ecological worldview Every jewel represents an organism, river, etc in the planetary web of life.

Permafrost

Frozen areas as an embodiment of Yin. Melting of permafrost in Arctic as movement from a more Yin, colder/frozen state to a warmer, more Yang state. •• ocean permafrost melting also in arctic also creating enormous releases of methane, potent greenhouse gas, with plums that are kilometer wide: YIN DOWN, YANG UP.

The Issue of Eponymy

Gauses Principle Agrees with competitive principles Simple consequence of natural selection "...they will compete with each other and since the chance of their being equally well adapted is negligble, one of them should eliminate the other completely

•Ice Sheet and Glaciers

Global issues, happening around the world—Himalayas, Greenland, Europe, Andes and US. Saw personally hiking in Glacier NP in Montana. •• melting allows exposed soil to absorb more sunlight, creating warming effect: YIN DOWN, YANG UP

Why research stifled in the West?

Growing focus on scientific method/scientific "consensus" ---moved into medicine becoming ORTHODOX medicine Religion also, had a different focus and orientation in the West - monotheistic, more rigid and controlling in West. In the East more internal, polytheistic, less controlling. (although politically one might say the opposite is true in China)

Strengths of Inward Orientation in Medicine/Healing

Holistic - treats the whole person Individualizes treatment to that person Engages and empowers the person with skills Does not pathologize life experience - ie. Grief and depression can be normal responses - that do not need to be treated Can or may address some areas where conventional medicine falls short Greatly expands treatment options and works with patients in multiple dimensions Can be cost effective....cure and focus on defining and working toward health and balance are very different than treating a disease

Simple Systems

Human intuition develops from exposure to SS. In SS the cause of trouble is close in both time and space to symptoms of the trouble. IN complex systems, the causes are often far removed in both time and space from the symptoms. A person will observe what appears to be causes that lie close to the symptoms of both time and space Apparent causes are usually coincident occurences that are bing produced by the feedback loop dynamics of a larger system.

Ecological Intelligence

If we want the change of a sustainable future, we need to think relationally. the world is complex, interdependent and unsustainble, yet we tend to live a way that sees no tomorrow

The Market Growth Model

Market Growth Model important of shifting dominance

Instituitonalizing the Modeling Process

Must improve relationship b/w the consumers and the producers of models- reduces misunderstanding, facilitates communiction, acceptance and respect

Vitalism - "Inward"

Non-dualistic An "energetic life force" is equally as important as chemicals and physical structures Emphasis on the internal dynamics of living systems and the responses of the human organism in relation to internal & external forces 'Dis-ease' comes because the body is out of balance Goal on re-establishing equilibrium/homeostasis/balance/resilience with IN the organism, system It is based more on the Einsteinan model/Quantum physics/Field Theories It sees humans as multi-dimensional, spiritual, energy beings UNITY OF BODY MIND SPIRIT It aims to understand and measure and utilize Subtle Etheric Energies This energy has different qualities and properties than electricity It travels faster than electromagnetic light

Ocean Acidification

Ocean as embodiment of Yin. Over past few years, becoming clear that oceans hold large percentage of emissions. James Hansen-- preeminent NASA scientist and climatologist— quote about 90% of earth energy balance deposited into oceans. •• Acidification limits the amount of addition emissions that can be absorbed, and ocean may have started to release emissions that were being held. YIN DOWN, YANG UP

The Competitive Exclusion Principle

One element in a system of ecological thought Exclusion Principle -Complete competitors cannot coexist 1. If 2 noninterbreeding populations 'do the same thing' (occupy the same land) If population A multiplies even the least bit faster than population B then ultimately A will completely wipe out B (extinction) LImits the finite available wealth (food, shelther) the differences between the competing species is their efficiency in producing offspring

Western Views

Tend to be more mechanical and atomistic Environment is our surrounding and the background to our everyday activities

Feedback relations in a system

One way to understand is through disturbance. If a system can recover quickly from the disturbance than it is resilient. Another way to understand is to examine the role of borders and centers. -all defense systems are about defending borders and centers

Counterintuitive Nature of Social Systems

Policies are being followed that they believe will alleviate the difficulties Dynamic analyses (instead of blaming outside forces) often shows how internal policies are causing the troubles

Deep view of Time

Reinforces a sense of self as process more than thing, a sens that we always arising, right alongside all other beings spontaneously becoming themselves as well.

Strengths of Mechanistic Approach

Scientific developments greatly expanded our knowledge of anatomy and physiology Advances in diagnostic testing and surgical skills and capacity are exponential Pharmacology and synthesis of new drugs have much to offer It makes sense to work toward evidence based medicine...doing what is proven to work...challenging our assumptions and historical therapeutics

Developing an Ecological Sensibility

Second way of thinking: 1. Appreciaton/reframing 2. Synthesis 3. Holism 4. Multiple influences through time and space 5. Integrative 6. Extension of boundaires 7. Critical Subjectivity 8. Pluralism/duality 9. rational/non-rational ways of knowing 10. Uncertainty, tolerance of ambiguity It will be less passive and be reflective, experiential, inquiring, experimental, participative, iterative, real-world and actioan oriented, invoking learing as change in teh active persuit of sustainability- rather than just learning about change

Modeling of the Political Process

Solution should be long-term & aimed at the roots of the problem rather than the symptoms More policy modeling but the direct impact of the models is still difficult to pinpoint/clouded most fall short of their potential as instruments for the clarification of policy issues and the enlightenment of policymakers

Two ways of thinking

Step out of modern thinking and recognize this paradigm so that we can master it instead of it mastering us- so we can still employ these approaches but only when appropriate

Guest Speaker

System thinking of chinese medicine a big picture, systemic view of medicine

Adaption

Takes place when we observe the symptoms of a problem and then take an action that counteracts the problem.

Oldest historical influence in CM

Taoism, the indigenous philosophy/spirituality/religion of Chinese- prehistoric tradition in china Chinese medicine texts date back several thousand years

Adaptive System

The consequence of an action counteracts the problem and restores the health of the system (Balancing loop)

Acting on Interdependence

The world works much better when we respect its interdependence.

Utility of the Exclusion Principle

The theory of evolution is not one with which we can predict exactly the future course of species formation and extinction; rather they theory explains the past (exclusion theory) 1. complete competition cannot coexist or 2. ecological differnetiaion is the necessary condition for coexistence

Weaknesses of the "Inward" Energy Medicine Paradigm

This system to date and historically has not easily interfaced with the scientific community In short because - it is not easy to measure subtle energy - the instrumentation was not technologically available - it is not easy to define spiritual aspects of care - on a very real level healing is trans-personal it is not just what is done, it is also the relationship between the practitioner and patient Some aspects are subjective

Understanding & Changing Systemic Structure

To break addictive responses we need to familiarize ourselves with the laws of systemic behavior and lean ro towrk with these laws. To break we need to udnerstand the system - then we can anticipate an imminent shift in dominance and prepare ourselves for it; to design an adaptive instead of addictive response

Sustainability from 5 perspectives

To include economy, environmental, social quality of life for all. 1. Thinking about/affecting the future 2. designing sustainable communities (good design accounts for enviornmental & social attriubtes and is bound by economic reality. 3. Stewardship of Natural resources 4. Sustainable economics(capitals are in balance) 5. Globalization (as most sustainable thinking focuses locally)

Meaning of the Butterfly

Translated into mass culture, the butterfly effect has become a metaphor for the existence of seemingly insignificant moments that alter history and shape destinies. Typically unrecognized at first, they create threads of cause and effect that appear obvious in retrospect, changing the course of a human life or rippling through the global economy. So a principal lesson of the butterfly effect is the opposite of Redford's line: It is extremely hard to calculate such things with certainty That we imagine the butterfly effect would explain things in everyday life, however, reveals more than an overeager impulse to validate ideas through science. It speaks to our larger expectation that the world should be comprehensible - that everything happens for a reason, and that we can pinpoint all those reasons, however small they may be.

Systems View

We would think differently. First, we wouldn't see ourselves as victims to some unconnected external source. We see our actions and others' as interdependent in what some Buddhist writers call "mutual co-arising". The viability of a life-sustaining society depends on our ability to experience now the long term effects of our actions and to innovate with new behaviors and new tools. Our actions are in close connection with the world of reactions.

Systemic

What are or might be the consequences of this?

Tucson Example

When efficiency was increased, population grew in the desert and therefor more developments and water taken from the aquifers and rivers

Critical

Why are things this way, in whose interest?

4. Where is excess Yang and lack of Yin coming from

a major source physically is us here in the US. this external Yin deficient is reflection of our individual and collective Yin deficient. Climate change as an external mirror of our internal condition.

Outward Paradigm ***

a systems "succes" depends upon how it responds to its external environemtn views a system as being engaged in a kind of natural selection process arbitrated by its external enviornment.

Ecological worldview

arises from the identification of ecology of an ontological metaphor, to contrast with teh underlying Newtonian metaphor of mechanism which informs modernist thought

Analogy of root and branch

branch is the symptom root is where it is coming from

Inward Paradigm

doesnt emphasize responding to environmental change or prediction thereof it focues on understanding the relationship b.w a system's inherent behavior tendancies and its internal structure SUMMAry views a system as a cause of its behavior rather than an effect of external forces

Reductionist View

has led us to think of our world as unconnected, so, for example, we spew untested toxins to the point where mother's milk contains dozens of unnatural chemical compounds.

Holistic

how dis this relate to that? what is the larger context here?

Ethical

how should this related to that? what is wise action? how can we work towards the inclusive well-being of the whole system?

"dominant" loop

in a system is the one that principally controls the system's behavior over a certain often extended period of time

Addiction

is a process which an external problem can send us into a damaging cycle that quickly feed on itself "short-term problems with long term consequences"

Ecological Thinking

is essentially relational or connective thinking, more than that; it is ethical valuative and expresses our humanity

Perceptual Shifts

living systems are nonlinear & rooted in patterns of relationships understanding ecology requires a nw way of seeing the world; relationships, connectedness & context From 1. parts to whole 2. objects to relationships 3. from objective knowledge to contextual knowledge 4. from quantity to quality 5. from structure to process 6. from contexts to patterns

The Great Turning

name for the essential adventure of our time: the shift from the industrial growth society to a life-sustaining civilization revolution is underway because people are realizing that our needs can be met without destroying our world.

Responsibilities of the Policymakers

need to think about how their actions play into the faulty research of which they complain optimisim may lead to misguided the ability of modelers to identify the central policy questions

Addiction

occurs when we observe the symptoms of a problem and then take an action that suppresses the symptoms of the problem but makes the actual problem worse

balance of trade

of an area to be corrected by allowing labor to create and export products to generate income streams with which to buy the necessities of modern life from the outside. The US has slipped into short-term policies for managing cities that have become part of the system that is generating even greater troubles

Problems with models

produces accentuated representation of reality - they are caricitures of reality the policy usefulness of models appreas to be lagging- a living moel is a useful model ex. mediating institutions need to

Holographic understanding of the world

small piece of the picture contains all the info of the larger picture. Hologram very old view

Yin and Yang is RELATIONAL

something is Yin or Yang in relation to something else. Yin and Yang comes from seeing patterns in Nature, that are then applied to medicine.

The policymaker- an unknowing culprit

they are underpressure - want praise, find easy fixes

In Economics

unrestrained competition will ultimately result in but one victor Monopoly breeds power which acts to insure and extend the monopoly; This system has a "positive feedback"; is always a threat to those aspects of society still "outside" the monopoly ban together to insure continued competeition; pass anti-monopoly laws which prevent compition from proceeding to its 'naturally' inevitable conclusion

Yin

watershed on the north side/north face of the mountain INTERNAL** small, quiet, old, still, cold/cool, wanter, winter

Yang

watershed on the south side/south face of the mountain EXTERNAL** Fire, summer, loud

Why think about systems?

we are constantly thinking and responding to systems To survive we must fit into the system we must relate to. View helps us to think about not just ecosystems but also social, economic and political systems Understanding systems helps us to understand how to influence them and create positive changes.

Creative

what innovation might be required?

Appreciative

whats good, and what already works well here?

Inclusive

who/what is being heard, listened to and engaged?