EfSD Pillar: Systemic Thinking

What is it?

Untitled by Anonymous
in New Town, Australia

• What does this desecrate peice say about out livelihood?
• Is it saying that this is what our work today amounts to?
• Because of its desecrate nature, who might it address?
• How might it affect those observant enough to see it? 

   From my own observation this piece shows the physical, 

   mental, & conceptual product of human's work efforts in a 

   linear thinking society who considers only the short term.  

Systemic thinking provides a holistic way of seeing the world and sustainability issues in a broad way (Tilbury et al 2005).  With integrative and multidisciplinary approaches to analyzing and understanding, systemic thinking promotes a shift in focusing on:

•    processes, rather than things, 
•    dynamic states, rather than static ones, and on 
•    the whole, rather than just parts.  (2005)

By doing this the relationships between complex system components are revealed.  :)

"To understand things systemically, literally means to put them into a context, to establish the nature of their relationships." (Tilbury et al 2005)

- Fritjof Capra from ‘The Web of Life’

Whats its’ Purpose
Contrary to the dominant ways of thinking, instigated by the current societal system, systemic thinking will make way for long-term solutions that facilitate sustainable development (ARIES 2009 & Tilbury and Ross 2006). 
Aries (2009) highlights that systemic thinking "recognizes that the whole is more than the sum of its parts". See Post - "Gestalt on Many Levels".  In a way this means that with any one thing, there is more than meets the eye. This also relates to the Post - "Beyond Words", which expresses how terms & concepts are not able to be defined by any single definition because they inevitably exclude cultural & ecological perspectives due misconceptions of 'black or white' distinctions.. As such, systemic thinking facilitates the understanding of a multiple perspectives approach and accepts ambiguity in learning. The purpose of systemic thinking is to recognize the planet as a single entity and accept the common fate of humans and other ecological, living and non-living beings (2009); if they suffer, we suffer; if they perish, we perish. Therefore, to exist we must live harmoniously with our ecological brothers and sisters, thus, critically analyzing extensive causes and effects before making decisions.
In short the purposes of systemic thinking:

• Identify connections and relationships (ARIES 2009). 
• Helps us to look at multiple influences and relationships when we explore and participate in resolving problems (Tilbury & Wortman 2004).
• Expands our world view and helps us to be more aware of the boundaries and assumptions we use to define issues (2004).
• Recognizes the influences of our values, self perception and interpretations of the world, as well as our intuitional and non-rational ways of knowing (2004).

• Shifts thinking from ‘things’ to ‘processes’(ARIES 2009). 
• Sees the larger properties of whole systems that emerge from the interaction of individual parts (Tilbury & Wortman 2004).
• Helps us accept uncertainty and ambiguity, and to participate and learn from change (2004).

•  Integrates decision-making and adaptive management techniques (ARIES 2009).
• Helps us appreciate others’ viewpoints (Tilbury & Wortman 2004).
• Encourages more participative and interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving (2004).
• Helps restore a sense of connection to place, to others and the wider world (2004).
• Identifies strategies that better generate sustainable solutions for system change, emphasizing self-organization and resilience (2004).

Before

After

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein... such a classic,

 yet a portrayal of failure of systemic thinking.

Too bad you lost your tree buddy old man. You could have avoided this consequence if you would have used some systemic thinking.   Too bad.
Though it is true that this old man's tree was always there for him, he wasn't always there for his tree.  The true moral of the story provides an analogy for how humans see their resources, even if they are greately appreciated. This old man no longer has his tree, future generations will never have that tree. This is what a linear system does to what we know and love, it destroys the future. Systemic thinking, on the other hand, will restore our connectivity with our future and when such a philosophy becomes common place, human kind will thoroughly consider the consequences of actions before they are done.

Exercising Systemic Thinking.
Tilbury & Wortman (2004) suggest the following steps to exercise systemic thinking:

• Look for multiple influences and interactions, rather than trying to identify a single, linear cause and effect.
• Be wary of the ‘obvious’ explanation, and look for deeper issues that might be influencing the problem.
• Take a ‘helicopter’ perspective ‘above the issue’ to look at the larger picture.
•  Look for relationships and feedback by asking, ‘what does this have to do with that?’
•  Put yourself in ‘others’ shoes’ – what is their perspective?
• Question boundaries and assumptions when an issue is labelled or absolution is suggested.

Envisioning.

Envisioning a world with systemic thinking.
See Post - "Future Thinking"

Plastic Bag Parody.

This video is a parody analyzing the life of a ferrel plastic bag. It analyses the post usage part of its life during its migration to the ocean. Its journey helps viewers connect their usage of plastic bags and plastic in general and connect it with mass pollution, in a light hearted way.  

"Remember, you get more bee's with sweetness, then with salt" - Mom 

 In other words, its' nice to be nice...people like it and will hear your out more, then if you are bitter.

The Majestic Plastic Bag - A Mockumentary

Gardening - A College Experience.

Emily Campbell's Three Sisters
Garden Artwork depicting a legend
from Iroquai Native Americans.
(See The Legend of The Three Sisters)

Mercyhurst college in the United States is one of the leading higher-education advocators of  sustainability in the country. Sustainability trickles throughout the entire student and staff culture, its' curriculum, and campus. A 2009 addition to the school is a 405-acre property where crops can be grown has been deemed "The Mercyhurst West Garden Project".  Using sustainable agricultural methods, so far 2 acres are being used to provide the colleges cafeteria with organic food.  However, the garden provides much more than this, it is campus wide inclusive.  Through the colleges required service learning experience,  students get the opportunity to help with the garden and learn where our food comes from. Student and Teacher clubs, such as the Green Teams, have an initiative to sell surplus organic vegetables on campus and in the community at farmers markets. Science classes, use the garden as a sight to test biological workings, such as methods of soil preparation and its effect on nitrogen fixation on crops. (Memories :). The cafeteria is filled with signage of where the food comes from and how they can help. Moreover, the garden involves the community integrating local community gardening activities and working with local organic composters.

The Story of Stuff.

The story of stuff is a project that attempts to reveal the connections between our actions and sustainability or lack there of,...but hey, were keeping positive language here and advocate responsibility and futures thinking. The video below is a simple, animated presentation to help learners develop skills that influence change within the system and organization of the wider society. Their website also has videos on:
(Hit the jump to watch each animation`)

• "Citizens United - Why Democracy Only Works When People are In Charge"
• "Cap & Trade - Why You Can't Solve a Problem with the Thinking That Created It"
• "Electronics - Why 'Designed for the Dump' Is Toxic for People & the Planet"
• "Cosmetics - The Ugly Truth of Toxics-In, Toxics-Out"    & 
• "Bottled Water - How 'Manufactured Demand' Pushes What We Don't Need, and Destroys What We Need Most"
• "Stuff - Where Our Stuff Comes From, & Where It Goes When We Throw It Away"
                            *This video is featured below.*                            

The Story of Stuff animations have been shown in classroom of all ages around the world and travels virally through online communities. It is raising the bar for wide-spread social self-realization, and soon humans will look back on us and think about our primitive ways.

Many resources for teachers, for service learning projects, & for faith-based communities, are provided on their website, including an entire curriculum that can be downloaded from their website, Fo' Free!  (See 'Resources' section below).


The Center for Ecoliteracy.

Ecological literacy (or ecoliteracy) is a critical quality for sustainable development. It implies that people know about ecosystem life cycles, about the sources of what supports life, the importance of biodiversity, what is required to keep these things running smoothly, and how human actions affect these things. The Center for Ecoliteracy in California does just this by addressing the need to understand ecosystems and the cycles of life in order to create sustainable communities.
Their website has sections for "discovering", "exploring", "teaching", "changing", and "sharing". The "teaching" section is devided into Philosophical Grounding, which focuses on core ecological concepts and systems  perspectives, and Strategies, which includes place-based learning, and project based learning.  (Find these resources below).
Through their program "Rethinking School Lunch" they provide a framework based on a positive vision. They promote the consciousness of food systems and watersheds as essential systems to provide a  meaningful context for achieving ecoliteracy (Ecoliteracy 2011 & Tilbury and Wortman 2004).



Mind Map Activity.

To give an idea of a mind map

A creative, illustrative mind mapping activity can help activity participants understand systems thinking and the use of Life Cycle Analysis. *** Mind mapping will be clarified in a post coming soon and will be linked. *** Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is a technique for quantifying and assessing inputs and outputs of a product's life-cycle, from its production, to its use, through to its disposal. LCA seeks to identify a products affects on social and environmental performance at every stage of its life in order to improve the way we consume (Tilbury et al 2005)

In this activity participants should be separated into small groups (2 - 5 people). They should be equipped with the basic knowledge for LCA, mind mapping directions, and a huge piece of paper before hand. Then they should have 45 minutes to create an attractive mind map of the LCA of a product.
IE: Water bottles.
Production, Use, Disposal
Impacts on every level to social and environmental sectors
& positive and negatives. :)


'Beyond Simple Problem Solving' Activity.
An idea from Tilbury and Wortman (2004) addresses communities and empowering them engage in problem solving for issues that affect them. This is mostly aimed at older people, but can be used in classrooms, schools, focus groups, ect, in order to exercise systemic thinking & set the stage for positive change in any of their targeted communities. 
Their idea was to, in a group, identify:
common issues in the community, then, state the common simple solutions.

For example                                                                        

  Too much crime.     = Increase number of policemen 

  Declining crop yield.     = Increase use of fertilizers   

  Road congestion.     = Build more roads                       

Then, in order to exercize systemic thinking in problem solving it is necessary to observe why these solutions are limited.  Ask.

• What other problems might this issue be related to? 
• Are the simple solutions addressing them? Or, are they prescriptive to just that thing?
• Why are these solutions limited?
• How can they be expanded? 
• Who is involved?  Who can be involved? 
• How would you need to think about problems differently to come up with systemic ways forward?

This can be drawn out as participants come up with solutions to all these questions. A mind map will help visualize the expansion of what was thought to be an isolated problem with one prescriptive solution. 

Tilbury and Wortman (2004) also suggest that looking at news stories and their 'solutions' to problems to see how prescriptive solutions to problems that are considered isolated don't work as an exercise to relate systemic thinking to something familiar.


Arts and Crafts Activity.
An arts and crafts activity is aimed towards younger children, though it may be fun for older ones too.
In this activity participants should choose any plant or animal, perhaps their favorite to make it more personable. Then they should identify what this thing needs to live. Questions should be given for guidance, critical thinking, and awareness, such as:

1. What type of creature is this? (Amphibian/ Reptile/ Mammal/ Plant/ etc.)
2. Why did you choose it?
3. What environment does this animal live in? 
4. What else shares this environment with it? (to develop the sense of ecological communities)
5. What does it need to live? 



From the Center for Ecoliteracy

6. How can humans help it's species live?

After these questions are answered with guidance from teachers/helpers, they can be taken outside to find things to create the chosen species habitat.
Then, its arts and crafts time. Yikes!    
Should keep those little wild things busy for awhile. :)

**This can also be an activity to experiment with media.  I've done it with some students and remember doing it myself as a kid...it was a self portrait.
The ones below are done with crayon/oil pastel and water color.  Because oil/ wax and water repel the finished result looks neat and will built artistic confidence. It will also help them learn through experimenting about the interaction of the two mediums.

___Useful Resources___

• The Story of Stuff - Home Website
• The Story of Stuff - Teacher Tools
• The story of Stuff - Useful Resources
• Facing the Future - Home Webpage
  is full of tools and resources for critical thinking, global perspectives, and informed action.
• The Story of Stuff & Facing the Future - Global Issues and Sustainability Curriculum 
• Ecoliteracy - Home Webpage
• Ecoliteracy - Core Ecological Concepts
• Ecoliteracy - Systems Perspective
• Ecoliteracy - Place-Based Learning
• Ecoliteracy - Project-Based Learning
• Ecoliteracy - "ReThinking School Lunch" 
• Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)

___Cite___

ARIES 2009,  Education for Sustainability - the role of education in engaging and equipping people for change, ARIES, Macquarie University, Australian Government - Department of the Environment, Water,  Heritage, and the Arts, Australia
Center for Ecoliteracy 2011, 'About Us', Center for Ecoliteracy, accessed on September 20, 2011, <http://www.ecoliteracy.org/about-us/what-we-do>

Mercyhurst College 2010, 'Mercyhurst West Gardain Project', Mercyhurst, accessed on September 20, 2011, <http://sustainability.mercyhurst.edu/mercyhurst-west-garden-project/>
The Story of Stuff 2011, ‘The Story of Stuff’, Allegany College, accessed on the 10^th of September, 2011, <http://www.storyofstuff.com/>

Tilbury, D., Keogh, A., Leighton, A. and Kent, J. 2005,  A National Review of Environmental Education and its Contribution to Sustainability in Australia: Further and Higher Education, Canberra: Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage and Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability (ARIES).

Tilbury, D. and Ross, K. 2006, Living Change: Documenting good practice in Education for Sustainability in NSW. Macquarie University, Sydney, and Nature Conservation Council, NSW.

Tilbury, D. and Wortman, D. 2004, Engaging People in Sustainability, IUCN Commission on Education and Communication, Gland and Cambridge