This lecture focuses the dynamics within systems, how to identify and analyze gaps as well as evaluate how change takes place within more complex systems. Students will be introduced to the process of systems mapping and will participate in a class exercise to create and analyze a systems map for a specific social system. Students may apply the lessons from this lecture to the preparation of their major assignment, which will be introduced in this class (due Class 9).

1. APS 1015: Social Entrepreneurship
Class 2: Deep Dive into Social Systems
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
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Instructors:
Norm Tasevski (norm@socialentrepreneurship.ca)
Alex Kjorven (alex@socialentrepreneurship.ca)

2. © Norm Tasevski
Agenda
• Recap of the Basics of Social Systems
• Systems Change – Discussion
• Systems Mapping – Class Exercise
• Break
• Prep for Tomorrow
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3. Social Systems (Recap from Last
Week)…
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4. © Norm Tasevski
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
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
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6. © Norm Tasevski
System Components
1. Elements
2. Interconnections
3. Functions/Purpose
Example: Soccer (Football)
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Elements
Interconnections
Purpose

7. © Norm Tasevski
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)
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8. Systems Change
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9. © Norm Tasevski
Importance of Systems Change
• Systems are dynamic
(not static) they
naturally change 9

10. © Norm Tasevski
Importance of Systems Change
• Systems, if left alone,
can create adverse
consequences 10

11. Systems Mapping
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12. © Norm Tasevski
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13. © Norm Tasevski
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!
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14. © Norm Tasevski
Cause and Effect Chain - Example
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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?

15. © Norm Tasevski
“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…
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16. © Norm Tasevski
The Vicious Circle
• A symptom (effect) of a social condition can also
be a cause, which then serves to further deepen
the social condition
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17. © Norm Tasevski
Vicious Circle - Example
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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

18. © Norm Tasevski
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)
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19. © Norm Tasevski
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
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20. © Norm Tasevski
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“Root Causes of
Poverty” Workshop
Tabe Ere

21. © Norm Tasevski
Step 1: The Case
Read the case (5 Minutes)
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22. © Norm Tasevski
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…
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23. © Norm Tasevski
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
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EffectCause
(Proximate)
Cause
(Ultimate)

24. © Norm Tasevski
Step 4: Present Your Map
Present your findings (10 minutes)
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25. Break
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26. © Norm Tasevski
Prep for Tomorrow
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27. © Norm Tasevski
What did we learn?
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