5. System thinking Flashcards
What does DPSIR stand for?
- Driver
- Pressure
- State
- Impacts
- Responses
Name two shortcomings of the DPSIR framework
- Neglects feedback loops and feedback mechanisms
- Reductionism and linearity: oversimplification of processes and the assumption of a linear causal relationship
- Difficulty in quantification of the relationship among the different variables
- Limited focus on social and economic factors
- Poor temporal emphasis on relationships
How can you tell something is a Balancing loop?
When there is an uneven number of - signs.
What is a system?
A system is an interconnected set of elements that is coherently organized in a way that achieves something.
Why are models sometimes not useful?
When they require too much simplification.
Name two differences between traditional thinking and system thinking
Traditional
- Few elements
- Uni-directional
- No connections
- Mono-causality
Systems thinking
- Holistic
- Interconnections
- Complex whole
- Multi-causality
Name 2 reasons why we use system thinking
- Interventions depend on interactions of various resources
- Main actors are social beings with specific needs
- Instability of the context in which interventions are made
- A need to represent the system, which brings us to system mapping
What is meant with non-linearity?
Non-linearity means that the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable is not predictable.
Name 4 system archetypes
- Fixes that fail
- Limits to growth
- Shifting the burden
- Tragedy of the commons
- Drifting goals
- Escalation
- Limits to success
- Success to the succesful
Describe the Fixes that fail archetype and provide an example
- There is a problem, other viable try to fix this, this works at first, creating a Balancing loop.
- However, the fixes triggers an unintended consequence.
- This creates a Reinforcing loop.
- Example: Cane Toads in Australia
Describe the Limits to growth archetype and provide an example.
- There is a condition
- A growing action changes condition
- The condition leads to a slowing action which limits the condition
- E.g. cycling more leads to more accidents; tourism
Describe the Shifting the burder archetype and provide an example.
- Same problem arises over and over again
- Two goal seeking loops trying to dominate one thing
- One loop creates an unintended consequences directly affecting the functioning of the other loop
- E.g. international aid creating a growing dependence, hampering management capacity building and reducing law enforcement
Describe the Tragedy of the Commons archetype and provide an example
- Different groups use same resource
- Increased use of resource leads to depletion
- E.g. Collapse of the Atlantic northwest cod fishery
