10th Grade: Systems
How are systems created and defined?
When I think of the word system I think of so many different structures that are in place that I interact with everyday. My school is a system, the world is a system. I think of systems in the environment like the carbon system or I think of systems as laws that are put into place. Systems thinking is a study I’ve just recently stumbled upon. In Peter Senge’s The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook he describes systems thinking as “a way of thinking about, and a language for describing and understanding, the forces and interrelationships that shape the behavior of systems. This discipline helps us to see how to change systems more effectively, and to act more in tune with the natural processes of the natural and economic world.” This is an interesting concept to me because when you understand how to properly analyze systems you know how they change and are maintained. One key idea to understanding how systems are created and defined is that all systems are made up of interconnecting parts. The behavior of one part can affect another. If you change any part than it will change the entire system as a whole.
It takes more than one person to define a system.
It takes a group of people within the system to ensure that every part is running smoothly. But you can’t simply implement something in society and expect it to be huge hit right off the back with the community. It takes positive public opinion for a system to work properly. Without the suggestions of everyone involved there’s going to be hiccups. Sure you could make the argument that if it’s written down then it’s defined but those words have to be written by a consenting group of people and if the public reaction isn’t positively strong then you’ll know your systems out of whack.
How do systems shape the world?
I think it’s safe to say that there are unlimited systems in the world. You have the solar system, the electoral system, the water system and these are just a few of the many examples. These systems do their best to keep order in the world. Some naturally here, already performing successfully with or without our help and others completely man made, were created by pure brain power and trial and error, with some still being tested. Everything we become engaged with has a system set up in place to allow things to function properly.
People might think that without systems there would be complete chaos, but if it’s not the right system then the outcome is not going to be great. To have systems that all interact and result in a product that betters the lives of all would mean that we were living in a utopia. When you consider early civilizations where you had hunters and gatherers and it was a community effort, they had the same kind of systems set in place as we do today. Systems differ drastically depending on where you are in the world. When I think of systems in place specifically paired with this region I think of western culture and societal norms that go along with it and what kind of people are produced based on these kinds of views. Without systems we wouldn’t have civilization or a society to call our own.
What is the role of the individual in the systems?
Systems can range from reasonably simple to unimaginably complex. The structure of a system determines its behavior and in turn determines how people conduct themselves when interacting with it. When we have certain beliefs they greatly influence what version of ourselves we present to the world and how we interact and relate to each other. Systems are always changing and evolving and in order to progress we must change and evolve alongside of them. The role of individual includes being critical but at the same time open minded. Because systems in place are not always going to be a hundred percent the individual has to be critical but open minded. You have to appreciate new ideas even if they don’t agree completely with some of your values.
The individual’s responsibility is to ensure that things run smoothly. If a system seems outdated it’s important for attention to be drawn towards whichever part of the system needs to be replaced or upgraded. Some of the systems today haven’t been placing themselves in the best light lately and students have been responding. When something isn’t operating properly in the system and change needs to be implemented the public will act accordingly. Just like systems, a group of people are needed with various opinions evident for anything to function properly. People’s behaviors are based on the context that they grew up in and the narratives that have become familiar to them. Sometimes it can be dangerous for people to act on these narratives and other times it can be extremely useful and yield a different way of looking at a situation. Zimbardo, the director of the Stanford Prison Project, and the study of the 7 Steps to Evil stated that one of those steps was committing evil by inaction or indifference. To continue to let a system continue functioning at a decreasing rate is to commit this evil act. Never be afraid to speak up.