SYSTEMS/ECOLOGY THEORY

Question 1

Systems Theory provides _____

Answer 1

a conceptual framework to view the world.

Question 2

system: “is a set of

Answer 2

rderly, interrelated elements that forms a functional whole” (p. 13), examples of systems: person, family, group of students, an organization.

Question 3

social systems can “help or ______

Answer 3

deter people in achieving personal and community well-being” (p. 13).

Question 4

social work focuses on “the __________

Answer 4

interactions of various systems in the environment including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities” (p. 13).

Question 5

generalist social work practice ______

Answer 5

“targets systems of virtually any size for change” (p. 13).

Question 6

“conception of a system helps a social worker focus on a target for intervention” (p. 14).; social worker needs to ______

Answer 6

understand how a system functions and its interactions with other systems.

Question 7

subsystem:

Answer 7

secondary or subordinate system within a larger system (e.g., subsystems within a family such as the parental subsystem).

Question 8

boundary:

Answer 8

“invisible or symbolic line of demarcation that separates an individual, a subsystem, or a system from outside surroundings” (p. 14), generally want a boundary to maintain system integrity but still allow some permeability.

Question 9

Interaction:

Answer 9

mutual involvement and communication between systems.

Question 10

input:

Answer 10

“the energy, information, or communication flow received from other systems” (p. 14).

Question 11

output:

Answer 11

“the same flow emitted from a system to the environment or to other systems” (p. 14).

Question 12

homeostasis:

Answer 12

“the tendency for a system to maintain a relatively stable, constant state of equilibrium or balance”

Question 13

equifinality:

Answer 13

“there are many different means to the same end” (p. 15); therefore, many different ways to view and solve a problem.

Question 14

client system:

Answer 14

the individual, family, group, organization, or community whose goal is the focus of work, the client.

Question 15

target system or target of change:

Answer 15

“the system that social workers [with client]need to change or influence in order to accomplish [their] goals” (p. 15).

Question 16

change agent system:

Answer 16

“the individual who initiations [facilitates] the planned change process” (p. 15), the social worker.

Question 17

action system:

Answer 17

“those people who agree and are committed to work together in order to attain the proposed change” (p. 15), the social worker, client and possibly others.

Question 18

Ecological Theory

Answer 18

a conceptual framework that describes human interactions with other systems.
useful framework for generalist social work practice.
importance of social environments; “assumes a person-in-environment focus” (p. 15).

Question 19

social environment:

Answer 19

“the conditions, circumstances, and human interactions that encompass human beings”

Question 20

person-in-environment:

Answer 20

a focus that “sees people as constantly interacting with the various systems around them”

Question 21

transactions:

Answer 21

the interactions that people have with others in their environments (“in which something is communicated or exchanged”

Question 22

energy:

Answer 22

“the natural power of active involvement among people in their environment” (p. 16), energy can be in the form of communication, sharing resources, and other interactions.

Question 23

interface:

Answer 23

“the exact point at which the interaction between an individual and the environment takes place”

Question 24

adaptation:

Answer 24

“the capacity to adjust to surrounding environmental conditions” (p. 16), successful adaptation to change may require change in self and/or one’s environment.

Question 25

coping:

Answer 25

“a form of human adaptation that implies a struggle to overcome problems”

Question 26

interdependence:

Answer 26

“the mutual reliance of each person on each other person”

Question 27

systems theory and the ecological perspective similarities

Answer 27

both provide a framework to view the world.
both emphasize systems and the dynamic interaction among systems.
share some of the same terms.
both emphasize external interactions, and helping people improve their interactions with other systems.

Question 28

Major Terms in Systems
Theory

Answer 28

System
Dynamic
Interact
Homeostasis
Equifinality

Question 29

Major Terms in Ecological Theory

Answer 29

Social environment
Person-in-environment focus
Transactions
Energy
Interface
Adaptation
Coping
Interdependence

Question 30

shared terms

Answer 30

input and output

Question 31

Differences:

Answer 31

the ecological perspective “refers to living, dynamic interactions” (p. 17), systems theory refers to a broader range of systems.
each theory emphasizes different concepts: the ecological approach “focuses on transactions between individuals and the environment at the interface, or point at which the individual and environment meet” (p. 17); systems theory is concerned with the overall structure and functioning of a system (e.g., boundaries, homeostasis).

Question 32

application

Answer 32

Both approaches provide a framework to view the world and point to locations for social work intervention.
Systems theory might be more helpful in assessing the wellbeing and functioning of a specific system (e.g., a family), while an ecological perspective is helpful in thinking about how two systems interact (interface).