What is the difference between systems theory and ecological theory

Change and adaptation to illness effects all within the system: the individual, their family, the community and surrounding environment. You thank Dr. Derauf, and begin to use the information to understand what happened to Johnny. You suspect that Johnny is not monitoring his glucose and insulin administration. Using the ecological and systems theory model, you map the affects of diabetes on Johnny and his family. You ask Johnny about his feelings on diabetes micro , which family member assists with his diabetes mezzo and how the school macro helps him in class.

With hydration and insulin therapy, he showed an increased level of consciousness, was able to converse with his mother, and stated he was feeling "a little better. Johnny is stable and transferred to the floor, you begin the process of discharge planning; however, wonder why he, or the mother did not call, or come to the clinic for a refill of supplies. In fact, prior to this admission, you referred the mother to the diabetic educator.

The chart note indicates the educational session went well, and the mother and child were able to demonstrate proper technique in glucose monitoring and insulin administration. Your thoughts again begin to wonder about his social situation….

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Search form Search :. Reasoning Philosophy Ethics History. Psychology Biology Physics Medicine Anthropology. Sarah Mae Sincero The socio-ecological model was developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner in This model looks at the individual as being conditioned by the five systems that create their environment—individual, micro, meso, exo and macro.

In these cases, a more traditional psychological approach might be used. Examples of this include people who have a severe mental illness that requires unique care or medication. Another problem with social systems theory is the difficulty of drawing actionable conclusions based on what is found.

Identifying problems is important, but finding solutions to these problems may create difficulty, especially at the cultural and policy level. Despite these weaknesses, social systems theory is important to social work and helps practitioners reach a better understanding of those they work with.

Systems theory plays a key role in the advancement of society. Only by looking at all the moving parts can we have a greater understanding of the whole and how it works—a principle that holds true in physical sciences and social sciences alike. By applying these broad truths across disciplines, we can further integrate our understanding of separate phenomena.

As it applies to social science, systems theory is crucial because it looks holistically at the individual to draw insights and use them to take steps forward. For more on Alex Gitterman and Carel B. What is Systems Theory? Complex system: The greater, whole system made up of individual, smaller systems.

Generally used in social sciences. Homeostasis: The state of steady conditions within a system. A system is always moving toward homeostasis.

Bronfenbrenner, U. Developmental research, public policy, and the ecology of childhood. Child development, 45 1 , Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American psychologist, 32 7 , Developmental ecology through space and time: A future perspective. Developmental science in the 21st century: Emerging questions, theoretical models, research designs and empirical findings.

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The neighborhoods they live in: the effects of neighborhood residence on child and adolescent outcomes. Psychological Bulletin, 2 , Lippard, C.