APS1015 Class 2 - Systems Deep Dive
- 1. APS 1015: Social Entrepreneurship Class 2: Deep Dive into Social Systems Monday, September 16, 2013 1 Instructors: Norm Tasevski (norm@socialentrepreneurship.ca) Alex Kjorven (alex@socialentrepreneurship.ca)
- 2. © Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji Agenda • Recap of the Basics of Social Systems • Systems Change – Discussion • Guest Speaker – Sal Alajek • Systems Mapping – Class Exercise • Break • Overview of Major Assignment • Next week 2
- 3. Social Systems (Recap from Last Week)… 3
- 4. © 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
- 5. © 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
- 6. © Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji System Components 1. Elements 2. Interconnections 3. Functions/Purpose Example: Soccer (Football) 6 Elements Interconnections Purpose
- 7. © 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
- 9. © Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji Importance of Systems Change • Systems are dynamic (not static) they naturally change 9
- 10. © Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji Importance of Systems Change • Systems, if left alone, can create adverse 10
- 13. © Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji 13
- 14. © 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! 14
- 15. © Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji Cause and Effect Chain - Example 15 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?
- 16. © 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… 16
- 17. © 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 17
- 18. © Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji Vicious Circle - Example 18 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
- 19. © 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) 19
- 20. © 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 20
- 21. © Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji 21 “Root Causes of Poverty” Workshop Tabe Ere
- 22. © Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji Step 1: The Case Read the case (5 Minutes) 22
- 23. © 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… 23
- 24. © 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 24 EffectCause (Proximate) Cause (Ultimate)
- 25. © Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji Step 4: Present Your Map Present your findings (10 minutes) 25
- 26. Break 26
- 28. © Norm Tasevski & Karim Harji What did we learn? 28
Editor's Notes
- #3: NORM Start with some introductions so we can get to know who you are then we will review the syllabus and class structure ground rules for the class first part of the lecture before the break will be on social entrepreneurship – defining it, providing examples, and introducing some of the key themes that we will talk about further in the course the second part of the lecture – after the break – will focus on social enterprise… definitions, examples, and setting the stage for later lectures we’ll then review what we learned, and prep for next week’s lecture
- #6: Flu – the virus doesn’t attack a person, the body creates the conditions for the flu to flourishTalk about the way this happens –
- #7: Flu – the virus doesn’t attack a person, the body creates the conditions for the flu to flourishTalk about the way this happens –
- #15: Flu – the virus doesn’t attack a person, the body creates the conditions for the flu to flourishTalk about the way this happens –
- #16: Flu – the virus doesn’t attack a person, the body creates the conditions for the flu to flourishTalk about the way this happens –
- #18: Flu – the virus doesn’t attack a person, the body creates the conditions for the flu to flourishTalk about the way this happens –
- #19: Flu – the virus doesn’t attack a person, the body creates the conditions for the flu to flourishTalk about the way this happens –
- #20: Flu – the virus doesn’t attack a person, the body creates the conditions for the flu to flourishTalk about the way this happens –
- #21: Flu – the virus doesn’t attack a person, the body creates the conditions for the flu to flourishTalk about the way this happens –
- #23: Flu – the virus doesn’t attack a person, the body creates the conditions for the flu to flourishTalk about the way this happens –
- #24: Flu – the virus doesn’t attack a person, the body creates the conditions for the flu to flourishTalk about the way this happens –
- #25: Flu – the virus doesn’t attack a person, the body creates the conditions for the flu to flourishTalk about the way this happens –
- #26: Flu – the virus doesn’t attack a person, the body creates the conditions for the flu to flourishTalk about the way this happens –
- #29: NORMFocus on the distinction between entrepreneur and enterprise