An Analysis of the Theories on Social Systems - Essay Example

Running Head: Scholarly Analysis An Analysis of the Theories on Social Systems In APA Style The application of the different social theories is the main objective of the study undertaken. The theories included in the studies as the social systems theory, the ecological perspective and the psychoanalytic concepts. These theories and concepts are applied in the analysis of a particular case under study. The Application of the Social Systems Theory The social systems theory is one of the bases in the analysis of social processes on the basis of units of a system or society. Based on one of the most important proponents of the theory, Niklas Luhman, the communication is the most important concept within and between any systems. The communication can be considered as an objective instead of a natural phenomenon specifically for example within the human society. This can be attributed to the fact that although people communicate and talk to each other, the understanding the behavior and the implicit working of the human mind is one of the most challenging field of study (Bauch, 2001). The communication between the different systems and the parts within a system can be considered as an important concept of the system theory (Bauch, 2001). When Abby failed to communicate with the people around and present normal behavior, it can be considered as a failure to achieve the main objectives of the system One of the concepts of the system theory is the connectivity or the internal cohesiveness of a particular system. One of the applications of the said concept is within the family which can be considered as an important system on its own (Miller, 1965; Napier and Whitaker, 1980). In the case of Abby, she can be perceived to have a strong connection with her older sister. This can be attributed to different factors such as gender and sharing similar interests and even space (having the same room). The death of the elder sister can be considered to have an effect to the balance of her regular functioning, if expressed in a term related to the systems theory. In relation, another concept is the closure in a system which can be considered as the integrity of the relationships that is intrinsic to the system (Miller, 1965; Napier and Whitaker, 1980). In terms of the case study the interactions and the interrelationships within the family which involves Abby, her sister, brother, parents, aunt and nanny can be considered as the factors contributing to her behavior. The drastic changes that occurred on the death of her sister resulted in the discrepancy in her acquainted environment. The stability is included in the important concepts covered by the system theory. The said concept is to the sustainability and strength to uphold the balance of the system (Miller, 1965; Napier and Whitaker, 1980). In terms of the behavior of Abby, it can be considered that changes that occurred in terms of the internal and external factors in her system resulted in the drastic alteration of the integrity. This is observed though her withdrawn behaviors, her fears, skepticism and her inquiry regarding death. The Ecological Perspective In terms of the ecological perspective in the analysis of social cases, the main focus is the relationship between the people and the components of the environment, thus, the analysis mainly evolves on the interaction of the said factors (Connard and Novick, 1996). In terms of the consideration of the ecology of the development of a person, the family is considered as the primary focus. For that matter, the factors that can affect the development within the family are the main considerations (Connard and Novick, 1996). Based on the observation of Abby’s case, it can be considered that she had been guided and taken cared of by her parents specifically based on the fact that her mother stays at home and performs the chores. It can be considered that her changes in attitudes can be attributed to her attachment to her sister and the lack of attention and guidance brought about by the sickness of her sister. It can be analyzed that prior to the even she is accustomed to the love and care given by her relatives with can be considered as part of her environment and she had learned to return such stimuli. In addition to the family, the factors that comprise the environment responsible for the development of a person is the society which is composed of the school and other institutions and groups (Connard and Novick, 1996). Based on Abby’s case, the school and her peers had observed changes in her behavior and personality after her sister’s death. It can then be considered that the family is the most influential factor in her life. Also, that her interaction with other factors of her environment is affected if one of these components is in conflict. The Theory of Psychoanalysis Psychoanalysis is one of the theories of behavioral interpretation specifically of the human perspective (Mitchell and Black, 1995). There is a number of concepts included in psychoanalytic theory. One of the concepts considered of importance is the concept of conflict. It can be defined on the basis of the struggle between components of the personality e.g. in most cases the good and the evil (Mitchell and Black, 1995). It can also be perceived that the confusion experienced by Abby regarding death is one of the examples of the said conflict. In her young mind, she perceived that her sister who is so much like her died and her parents has no power to prevent the event. She can consider this as an affinity to her possible experience of the same event. Thus, her everyday existence is a confusion of whether she will survive or succumb to death. Another important concept is the view of the self or the sense of self which can be considered as the perception of a person on the basis of his/her experiences and knowledge (Mitchell and Black, 1995). At a young age, Abby became very susceptible to changes in behavior specifically based on the experiences she had in relation to the death of her sister. The said experiences includes the change in the attitude of her parents specifically her mother and the ultimate change in the home atmosphere. Basically, such changes can result to the alteration of the sense of self of a person. At a particular view, even every member of the family experienced the degradation of their self worth due to guilt of a family member’s death. For adults, they can achieve the logic that the event cannot be their fault but for children with less understanding and less capability to theorize based on limited experience such adaptation to a particular scenario can be a challenge. The presented theories to analyze the case of Abby can be considered to stress the importance of the family to be able understand and help children in similar situations. Refences Connard, C. and Novick, R. (1996). The Ecology of the Family. Portland, Oregon: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Bauch, K. C. (2001) The Emerging Consensus in Social Systems Theory. NY: Kluwer Academic and Plenum Publishers. Miller, J. G. (1965) Living Systems: Basic Concepts. Behavioral Science 10 (3) July 1965: 193-237. Mitchell, S.A. and Black, M.J. (1995) Freud and beyond: a history of modern psychoanalytic thought. New York: Basic Books, New York. Napier, A. and Whitaker, C. (1980). The concept of the System. In The Family Crucible. 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