ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS

THEORY AND PRACTICE

Systems, Complexity, and Assessment

By Michael A. Wright

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com

Social Work Mandate

Individual Change

Social Change

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com

Individual Change

• Individual Complexity and Perception

Social Change

• Institution as Complex Adaptive Systems

Environmental Practice

• Social, Economic, Political, and Technological context of change.

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com

Environment Individual Institution

Environmental Social

Political

Technological

Economic

Individual Biological

Psychological

Sociological

Spiritual

Institutional Complex Adaptive Systems

Control Systems [environment, individual, and interactive

effects.]

General Systems Theory

(Bertalanffy, 1934)

Humans

• Humans evolve in the

context of specifically

identifiable environments.

Human behavior is “real”

and observable

(Bertalanffy ,1969).

Are Organic Systems

© 2012-01-21 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com

Cybernetics (Weiner, 1969)

Human Systems

• They have interactive and

feedback structures,

process information, and

construct meaning.

Are Dynamic

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com

Ecological systems Perspective

(BronfenBrenner, 1979)

Human Systems Are Complex

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com

Chronosystem

They have nested

effects influencing

meaning across

systems levels and

tied to events and

transitions over time.

COMPLEXITIES

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com

Institutions and Agents in Systems Theory

Institutions

• They have specific

processes for transmittal

of environmentally

supported culture and

enforcement of rules. The

resultant culture and rules

are expressed in values,

beliefs, and expectations

linked to environment and

events over time.

Individuals

• Systems theory allows for

a holistic approach to

assessment that includes

the environmental

complexities that impact

the choice behavior of

individuals within the

system, also called

agents.

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com

BioPsychoSocial-Spiritual Assessment

(Engel, 1977)

Individual Complexity

Biology

Psychology

Sociology

Spirituality

Influences Individual Reality

Reality

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com

ME

INDIVIDUAL COMPLEXITY

Complex Adaptive Systems

Sociological Complexity

• This means that humans,

when in groups, exhibit

behaviors that are not

necessarily expected from

any one of the individuals in

the group TOWARD stability,

purpose and order. They are

driven by heterogeneity: the

more different the

individuals, the more

complex the system.

Exhibits interactive effects

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com

ME

YOU

OTHER

US

INSTITUTIONAL COMPLEXITY

Control Systems

Complex Adaptive Systems Are predictable.

• Group behaviors are

unexpected but

predictable if

characteristics are known:

Environment, Individual

profile, Interactive effects.

The outcomes of systems

can be modeled: Agent-

Based Modeling

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLEXITY

Environment

Client Pre

Controllables

Client

Post

Interact Interact Interact Interact

ANALYTIC HIERARCHY

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com

Basic Hierarchy

• Individual

• Institution

• Environment

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com

Environment Individual Institution

When an event occurs…

Individualized Assessment

Perception of Self in Environment - Reality

Institutional

Individual

Environment

Ecological Assessment

• What is the economic,

political, technological,

and social environment?

• What are the interactive

effects of the intersection

of person, environment,

and institutional

exposure.

• What is the assessed

profile of the individual?

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com

WE ARE CONCERNED WITH…

A Matter of Context

Contextual Factors

• Social

• Economic

• Technological

• Political

Central Questions

• What were the exposure (infamy or fame) circumstances and expectations prior to the choice?

• What were the financial circumstances and expectations central to the choice?

• What technologies were enhanced or hindered capabilities?

• What policies are pertinent to the execution of the choice?

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com ENVIRONMENT

A Matter of Control

Major Institutions

• Marriage & Family

• School

• Business

• Faith & Volunteerism

• Health Care

Central Questions CS = Control System

• What are the individual needs and expected behaviors as the client enters the CS?

• What routines and values are communicated through the CS?

• What are the controls implemented during execution of the CS?

• What is the expected outcome of the CS?

• How is feedback used after exit from the CS?

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com INSTITUTION

A Matter of Choice

Major Assessment Areas

• Biology

• Psychology

• Sociology

• Spirituality

Central Questions

• Is the choice age appropriate and not the result of disease?

• Is the choice informed from multiple and competing sources?

• Is the choice free from undue influence except that it maintains the culture of the in-group?

• Is the choice based on factors that are not readily observed or are unique only to the client?

© 2012 Michael A. Wright michael@mawmedia.com INDIVIDUAL