Social Systems Frameworks

1. Social Systems Frameworks August 2008(Cook, J.B. n.d. Community Development Theory. Department of Community Development.)

2. Systems Frameworks Advantages • Practical prescriptions for community improvement not easy • Process at best will be complex, imperfect, incomplete & on-going • C/D theory heavily depends on general systems & social systems’ conceptual frameworks to organize & relate the ideas, intelligence & info uncovered in process of engagement • Advantages are: • descriptions, explanations, predictions & prescriptions can be expressed readily in system terms • Placing questions & events in context of system has proved to search out relationships & patters of interaction • Used generously in many disciplines ranging from biology to sociology • Compatible with holistic approach (Bertalanffy)

3. Communities as Systems • Communities as systems are conceived as entities that can be differentiated from what is around them –environment: • Have some kind of boundaries & interactions take place across the boundaries • Transactions from the environment to community systems are inputs: • Community systems are selective in what is accepted as input & have criteria to sort acceptable inputs from other potential stimuli –coding • Community systems do work & perform transformations with inputs • Products of the work discharged into environment as outputs • Info about reaction in environment be transmitted back to system as form of input –feedback • Thus community system is conceived in relation to the environment • Conceptualization & application of the systems framework requires social systems theory elaboration

4. 1) Community as Social Systems • Operate by action of people– in community systems the basic unit not taken to be a person but a role • Roles in context are performed by persons & persons considered much more that a role; same person might perform multiple roles in same social system or in a no. of social systems • The differentiation of a person from civic roles they may perform is very NB in community development practice

5. Pattern of Social Systems • Social role = set of expected behaviors in given situation • It functions to provide a place in other roles with reliable expectations of performance; thus a role operates in relation to other roles • Roles relating together in perceivable pattern = structures • In larger social systems, structures relating together to handle specialized parts form subsystems which in turn relating together form systems • Community systems are dynamic not static – thus elements of motion & change have to be attached to the mode • Motion & change requires the dimension of time • NB classification for community development theory involves Katz & Kahn’s genotypic functions to be carried out by mature social systems

6. Genotypic Functions • Production– tasks directly related to basic work of the system –fabrication of goods & services produced by community system • Support & maintenance– tasks of bringing support inputs, e.g raw materials to production functions & servicing work processes • Managerial/political –tasks of decision-making re interaction of production & support functions & regulating input/output transactions with environment • Planning & adaptation– tasks considering actions that may affect future operations & making provisions for adjustments/change in system’s configuration & activities called for by events in environment • Genotypic functions model can be used as predictive theory re stages of structural development • Existing community systems often deficient in planning structures & processes; communities commonly try to handle planning through ‘political’ subsystem

7. Systems Framework Community Definition • NB to differentiate communities from other classifications of social systems • A community is a particular type of social system distinguished by following characteristics: • People involve in the system have sense of recognition of relationships & areas of common concerns with other members • System has longevity, continuity & persistance • Operations depend on voluntary cooperation with minimal use of sanctions/threat • Multi-functional – system expected to produce many things to many dimensions of interactions • System is complex, dynamic & large so that instrumental relationships predominate • Geographic element associated with communities thus basic boundaries

8. Development • In community development the term “Development”is taken as reference to particular type of conscious effort to stimulate improvement; in this sense all positive changes are not result of development • Set of ideas used to differentiate development from other forms of positive change: • System subject to change exists • Change will take place incrementally within process over extended time • Once process has begun it’s very unlikely that system will be able to return to original state • Process stimulated & given direction by conscious effort • Conscious effort provide direction, a model of development with reference pints & expectations • Each stage in systems has not been experience before • Operates as learning process • Accomplishments evaluated only i.t.o. judgments of people in the system • Results judged to be more positive & worth the costs