Systems thinking: Shifting from the parts to the whole

I believe that the best way to understand systems thinking would be doing a parallel comparison with the construction of our workshop about sustainable development. Let’s start with the definition of systems thinking provided by “the Shaping the new education - UNESCO report 2012”:

“Looking for connections, relationships and interdependencies to see the whole system and recognize it as more than the sum of its parts; and to understand an intervention in one part affects other parts and the entire system”.

The definition above states that we have to shift our linear way of thinking – where we focus on quick fix and short term return – to a Systems perspective that brings thought and behaviour into line with the natural laws of sustainability. When we develop the ability to better understand and manage complex situations within and external to your organization we are able to make long term, successful change for sustainability. Using the definition, our project is based on a community garden where different members of a community are urged to participate and collaborate towards a more sustainable community. The aim of the project is to raise awareness about climate change (related to food waste), food security (shortage on global production and price rises) and also that sense of building partnerships within your local community. So, to solve problems such as climate change and food security, there is no other way but to find a holistic solution for it and underpin all the other hidden problems related to it. Sometimes complex problems need complex solutions and our traditional problem solving techniques analyse and “deconstruct” situations to make it looks simpler than they really are, this means that simple solutions will not fix the root cause of the problem, it might only solve the results temporary but will not impact on a long-term change.

Systems thinking approach aim for a long term solution trying to tackle issues from its root cause and work its way through the impacts of the problem. “Our lesson that nature teaches is that everything in the world is connected to other things” (Ecoliteracy.org), taking the nature as an example, we can come to the conclusion that a system is any collection of things that have some influence together, it is a pretty straight forward concept. However the shift on problem solving technique is one of the biggest challenges of individuals, government and private sector. System thinking is a way to provide meaningful context to achieve sustainability, individuals need to understand that their local actions have a global impact.

So the work shop about community garden does not look at single problems such as food waste on its own, but it does try to identify the ways households dispose their waste, how or if their re-use it and also the consequences of that waste on landfill and climate change. It tries to educate households on why is important for their health and their long term benefit the importance of growing their food locally instead of buying from big supply chains where a lot of other “environmental” costs are added to the produce they buy and consume every day. We also believe the environment awareness is a much bigger topic than it apparently is, it is not just about knowing facts, but is a state of mind, a way of thinking about sustainable development in a holistic way, Sterling on WWF – Linkingthinking report says:

“I am environmentally aware because:

• I am aware of the underlying causes of environmental degradation.

• I am aware of the global effects arising from these causes.

• I recognise my own responsibility for environmental problems.

• I am dimly aware of how we might go about solving these problems”

So if we look at environment awareness conceptualizations I would say that it is a combination of:

1.      Environmental Sensitivity: more than aware, in touch in every way with subtleties and symptoms of surroundings.

2.      Environment Literacy: ability to read the signs and subtle changes.

3.      Environment Contextualization: able to adapt/adjust to conditions and make sense of apply ES, EL and EA in different settings in order to adapt cope and survive.

4.      Environment competency: Sum of total that result in environment awareness.

 System thinking is an important shift of mind set because it gives us a holistic view of the problems the earth is facing. This new way of thinking helps individuals to set their own sustainability plan in order to start that sense of what is really important for them personally and how that plan will impact on the environment as a whole. This process leads us to value clarification which will be discussed on our next post.

Incredible video featuring Pam Warhurst co-founder of Incredible Edible, an initiative in Todmorden, England dedicated to growing food locally by planting on unused land throughout the community.