Chapter 2 Human System Perspectives

Theoretical Frameworks for Practice Theories about human systems Theories and models of change No one practice framework clearly represents "the social work view” © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Analyzing Theoretical Perspectives What is the main focus of the theory? To what system level does the theory apply? Does the theory apply widely to diverse situations, or narrowly to particular cases? Does the theory further understanding of behavior or guide change? © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Key Perspectives: Ecosystems Combines concepts from ecology and general systems theory Describes transactional relationships between persons and environments Consistent with various theories of human behavior © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Key Perspectives: Social Constructionism Knowledge is created not discovered Culture and social status influence perception Social work roles –Question socially generated “truths” –Advocate for social and political changes © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Key Perspectives: Feminist Perspective Personal is political Gendered lens Democratized process Considers other oppressions Transformational nature of change (Hyde) © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Life Course Theory & Critical Theory Life Course Theory –Provides a view of sociological influences on human development across the course of life Critical Theory –Contextual influences on human behavior –Interconnections between people and their environments © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ecosystems: Humans in Context Humans –Biological, psychological, spiritual, social, and cultural beings –Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors –Responders to environments © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ecosystems: Transactions Reciprocal interactions "Person: environment" connections Sources of energy that sustain human system functioning and fuel change © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Development as Evolutionary Change Views human development as evolutionary Individuals and other human systems: –Change and stabilize in response to internal and external forces Contextual Influences © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ecosystems: Goodness-of-Fit; View of Dysfunction Balance between system and environment Mutual benefits for the system and the people / situations around it Removes the blame from clients Defines problems as transactional Identifies problems as gaps between available resources/environment demands © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Implications for Change Change and maintain both client and environmental systems Determine multiple possibilities for change –Alter part of any transaction to affect other transactional elements Focus on building strengths and system competencies © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Human Systems System - group of interacting and interdependent people or parts Holons - all systems composed of smaller systems & contained within larger systems Subsystems - systems within a system Environments - larger systems encompassing a system © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Human Systems: Structural View Boundaries distinguish interior from environment –Vary in permeability –Separate people within a given system Hierarchy delineates –Status; Privileges; Power © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Human Systems: Interactional View Equilibrium-maintain patterns; stability Feedback - information that maintains or disrupts a system’s patterns Mutual causality - behavior mutually determined in interactions with others Wholeness - change in one part of a system creates changes in the whole © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Human Systems: Biopsychosocial Dimensions People are able to make choices about –How they view themselves –How they view events At all system levels, cognitive and affective dimensions hold promise for change © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Human Systems: Cultural Influences Cultural memberships affect the way others treat us Generalizations may obscure individual differences © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ecosystems: A Conceptual Framework for Practice Identify the focal system. What’s happening in the system? What’s happening outside the system? How do the inside and outside connect? How does the system change through time? © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Practice Framework: Focal System Point of reference Varies, depending on the purpose or activity Can be a client system or other target system in the environment © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Practice Framework What's happening inside the system? –Structural perspective; Interactional view –Biopsychosocial dimensions; Cultural influences What's happening outside the system? –Examine the ecosystem's structures, interactions, and sociocultural dimensions © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

How do the inside and outside connect & Move through time? Competent functioning depends on successful interaction with environment Analyze Dynamic state of constant change Expected developmental - occurs naturally Unexpected - nodal events © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.