Systems Thinking for Social Change

Posted on 17 March 2018 by David Peter Stroh

Donors, leaders of nonprofits, and public policy makers usually have the best of intentions to serve society and improve social conditions But often their solutions fall far short of what they want to accomplish and what is truly needed Moreover, the answers they propose and fund often produce the opposite of what they want over time We end up with temporary shelters that increase homelessness, drug busts that increase drug related crime, or food aid that increases starvation How do these unintended consequences come about and how can we avoid them By applying conventional thinking to complex social problems, we often perpetuate the very problems we try so hard to solve, but it is possible to think differently, and get different results.Systems Thinking for Social Change enables readers to contribute effectively to society by helping them understand what systems thinking is and why it is so important in their work It also gives concrete guidance on how to incorporate systems thinking in problem solving, decision making, and strategic planning without becoming a technical expert Systems thinking leader David Stroh walks readers through techniques he has used to help people improve their efforts to end homelessness, improve public health, strengthen education, design a system for early childhood development, protect child welfare, develop rural economies, facilitate the reentry of formerly incarcerated people into society, resolve identity based conflicts, and The result is a highly readable, effective guide to understanding systems and using that knowledge to get the results you want. Best Download [ Systems Thinking for Social Change ] author [ David Peter Stroh ] For Kindle ePUB or eBook – kino-fada.fr Using this with a class of only a dozen students in an upper level course on Applied Social Policy in Portland, Maine this term, and I think it provides a clear model that students can use to work with a local community partner to achieve some positive social change The best systems thinking on social and local issues gets us to root cause analysis, and I think Stroh succeeds in giving us a way to map complex social problems that does that My Master s thesis adviser was Walter Buckley, a soc Using this with a class of only a dozen students in an upper level course on Applied Social Policy in Portland, Maine this term, and I think it provides a clear model that students can use to work with a local community partner to achieve some positive social change The best systems thinking on social and local issues gets us to root cause analysis, and I think Stroh succeeds in giving us a way to map complex social problems that does that My Master s thesis adviser was Walter Buckley, a sociologist who wrote the first book in the 50s applying mechanics and systems theory to social and behavioral sciences Modern Systems Research for the Behavioral Scientist A Sourcebook, but he mostly taught me ske...I ll write a better review later, but the best single thing I took away from this book was a very simple observation I ve heard in many different settings the discussion of the problems of not getting exponential change in terms of not perceiving negative changes in systems we rely on such as ecosystems until it s too late e.g Albert Bartlett s lecture or the 1 minute impossible hamster clip from the New Economics Foundation There is a simp I ll write a better review later, but the best single thing I took away fr...This book is worth reading, despite the slightly lower rating There are lots of good suggestions, and it reinforces much of what I ve already read in the network theory realm But it is jargony and hard to follow at some points, and would probably be difficult for folks to absorb if they aren t already versed in the language of systems I recommend Donella Meadows System Thinking A Primer if you re looking for somethingintroductory, then this for examples with case studies and in dept This book is worth reading, despite the slig...Good, thoughtful, nearly step by step guide to solving wicked social problems A wicked problem is a problem that is difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize.Contents view spoiler Stroh DP 2015 Systems Thinking for Social Change A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting ResultsIntroduction What You Will Learn Use systems thinking instead ofconventional linear thinking to address chronic, complex social problems Apply systems thinking as both a set of principles and a particular group of analytic tools Integrate systems thinking into a proven four stage change manag Contents view spoiler Stroh DP 2015 Systems Thinking for Social Change A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting ResultsIntroduction What You Will Learn Use systems thinking instead ofconventional linear thinking to address chronic, complex social problems Apply systems thinking as both a set of principles and a particular group of analytic tools Integrate systems thinking into a proven four stage change management process Catalyze an explicit choice between the purpose people say they want to accomplish and the benefits they are achieving right now Apply systems thinking prospectively as well as retrospectively Cultivate systems thinking as a way of being not just as a way of thinking Structure of the BookPart I Systems Thinking for Social Change01 Why...I give this book five stars That is not because there weren t dry parts in fact, given that I have little training or background for social change writ large, that was almost inevitable But that is due to my own lack of training I could sense, reading this book, that I was learning something momentous Consider Buildinghomeless shelters is a short term fix that diminishes the problem s visibil...This book presents a clear picture of systems thinking in action by referencing examples in everything from education to homelessness to crime Although dry at times, these examples help propel the book forward and serves as a good introduction to systems thinking However, I do finish the book still a bit uncertain about how to apply systems thinking to create real change often people are only brought together to rethink their role in a system in the face of a catastrophe that ...First, full disclosure I picked this up because it was recommended to me to help guide my work with a non profit I read some, skimmed some, skipped some of the book.On the plus side it has some very useful information about how to think about big picture solutions to to pervasive problems And I think a full understanding of the material would help people facilitate change in an organization s thinking However, it was pretty dry, even dull to read So, if you re interested in helping an org First, full disclosure I p...Excellent introduction to system s mapping for better organizational design Focused on such community concerns as education, health care and homelessness, this book guides facilitators through system mapping by providing specific techniques and demonstrating their application through real w...Not the most engaging read, but as a educational resource it was clear, concise and illuminating Would be interesting for at least anyone working on large scale issues, anyone in social policy or programming or NGO s and the humanitarian and development sector at large.

English
17 March 2018

David Peter Stroh