Role of Social Systems Theory and the Family within Society - Essay Example

Role of Social Systems Theory and the Family within Society Social systems theory provides a complex, often esoteric framework for the provision of human services. The theory concentrates on seeing systems as somehow remote from the actual physical features of the environment -whether it be human or natural - within which they exist. Social systems attempt to be less complex and less chaotic than the surrounding environment. It is through various elements of communication, as Luhmann et al. suggest that the systems control their boundaries. Other theories, such as exchange, dramaturgy and Marxism may also be useful within human service provisions. The ideal should be to provide as good a practical service to clients as possible rather than the testing of ideas. Social systems theory is a method of understand various systems that humans interact with in an effort to provide answers for the problems of social functioning that may occur for both individuals and groups. Throughout the history of sociology there have been various attempts to construct what might be termed as a "grand theory" of human social interaction (Jokisch, 2001). Talcott Parsons was one of the first sociologists to offer a single theory. Parsons saw systems as an analytical tool to understand certain processes that were occurring within society. By contrast, e was followed up by the specific features of Niklas Luhmann, who first used the term social systems theory (Luhmann, 1995). Luhmann suggests that systems exist as a discrete entity that can and should be studied in and of itself. As Moeller et al. suggest, the originating point of nearly all social systems theory is that "it no longer holds that current society can be successfully based on the basis that it is (or should be) fundamentally humane, and that it is, on principle, an assembly of individual human beings" (Moeller, 2006). Thus social systems theory avoids the temptation to indulge in what may be seen as unfounded generalizations about the "nature" of human beings or far reaching conceptualizations that ignore reality. The basis of Luhmann's ideas is communication. He sees social systems as essentially systems of communication. A system is defined by a boundary between it and its environment, dividing it from a hopelessly complex and chaotic exterior. The systems is then, through simple logic, less complex and less chaotic than the exterior. Luhmann argues that if a system fails to maintain its identity, it cease to exist as a system and dissolves back into the overall environment from which it emerged in the first place. Elements are filtered by the system into some kind of organization within what Luhmann termed as autopoiesis, literally "self-creation", a term he borrowed from cognitive biology. Social systems are autopoietically closed as they use and rely upon resources from the environment, but these resources do not necessarily become part of the system's environment. With some reason, much of social systems theory has been criticized as rather remote and perhaps not too relevant to the actual world that human beings inhabit. The fact that the study of humans as discrete individuals is rejected by Luhmann et al. seems to lend support to these criticisms. As Weiner (1978) it might be difficult to associate such esoteric theories with their application within the resoundingly practical world of the delivery of human services to at need groups, families and individuals. But seeing society as a system, and one in which the constituent parts can be analyzed and perhaps even categorized according to similar types that have been discovered before is of use to the delivery of human services. Many societies may seem so utterly complex that the only method of dealing with them is on a case-by-case ad hoc basis rather than through some kind of systematic paradigm. Systems theory may help in answering a number of basic questions regarding human services. As Gardner (2003) suggest, systems theory raises a number of questions regarding human services: What human beings are being served What is the goal to be reached What are the set of elements or parts that need to be organized How will we know that we have been useful These might appear self-evident questions, but they may often be skipped by organizations that believe there are predetermined, shared answers that many not in fact be held in common by all the parties involved. For example, it is normally assumed that human service agencies serve "some target population of people with problems in living" (Gardner, 2003), but at the same time many of the people working within those agencies may call themselves (and be named as such officially) as "public" or "civil" servants. The role of serving the needs of a particular group may not entirely coincide with the idea of being public servants. The former involves service to a discrete group, the latter to the society as a whole. At time the interests of the one may conflict with the interests of the other. Systems theory is useful in working out the dynamics between the various groups and the areas of friction that may occur when human service workers have dual roles. As Gardner (2003) succinctly puts it, The public has interest groups that may conflict with the target group . . . if this were to happen, the question of who you serve becomes a significant issue. Again the simplification of complex situations that systems theory involves, especially within its most universalizing format, may enable the identification of common themes and trends within the social environment that would not otherwise be visible. Once these trends and structures have been identified then the important choices as to which groups the human services is serving in any one situation can be made. While systems theory is a vital ingredient of many human service systems, there are many other theoretical paradigms that can be applied to the systems relevantly. For example, exchange theory, in which 'exchange' in one form or another:- whether it be money, gratitude, friendship, loyalty - is seen as the defining feature of a society (Homans, 1993) . Many cultures contain a strong norm which suggests that when one person does something for another, the other should do something of approximately equal value in return. This norm of reciprocity could be the foundation of a human services system. Indeed, it could be argued that the idea of reciprocity, in the form of the idea that those who have been favored by fortune within a society "owe" something to those lucky, was the basis of the original human services systems in the nineteenth century. The idea of reciprocity is just as relevant today as it was then. In contrast the dramaturgical theory of Goffman (1986) suggests that in real life people play out social scenes following a script written by society. The scripts are unstated but they are understood by everyone and have become the rules by which social intercourse is possible. Such a paradigm has profound implications for human services, as providers must be aware of the particular "scripts" that clients are reading from and how they may be either detrimental or advantageous to the process. For example, the homeless may be caught within a particular "script" in which they regard any attempt to help them as government interference with their lives. A similar situation may be found with those suffering from mental diseases or conditions who are wandering the streets. Marxist theory, perhaps one of the most influential and well-known (although often misunderstood) social theories in existence can also be used within human services. The idea of an exploited mass who are essentially unempowered by a capitalist elite can be used to improve the situation of many people. Identifying the manner in which a particular group is being exploited, for example prostitutes within an inner city area from a Marxist perspective may enable understanding of the situation and possible remedies. To conclude, it seems clear that various theories, including social systems theory, can indeed be used within the provision of human services. The important caveat is that human service providers should always be practical in nature. The idea should be to provide as excellent and comprehensive a system of services as possible rather than any attempt to test some theoretical framework. The application of theory should be secondary to standard of service. As long as this is the case then there is much that theory can offer the complex world of provision of human services to a diverse population of groups. ______________________________________________ References Gardner, Jerome. "Human Services System". www.cognitivebehavior.com/management/concepts Goffman, Erving. Encounters: Two Studies in Human Interaction. Macmillan, New York: 1986. Homans, George. Social Behavior in Elementary Forms. Harcourt, Brace, New York: 1993. Jokisch, Rodrigo. "Problems with Theory Construction of Grand Theories, Niklas Luhmann's Theory of Social Systems, as an Example. Luhmann, Niklas. Social Systems: Writing Science. Stanford University Press, Palo Alto: 1995. Moeller, Hans-Georg. Luhmann Explained: From Souls to Systems. Open Court, New York: 2006. Weiner, Myron. Application of organization and systems theory to human services reform. Project Share, Washington DC: 1978. Read More