Developing Solutions: System Thinking for Sustainability Challenges

This essay examines the application of system thinking in addressing complex sustainability challenges, with a specific focus on domestic violence. The introduction highlights the limitations of traditional thinking and emphasizes the interconnectedness of elements within a system. The essay delves into the principles of system thinking, its historical roots, and its three key parts: purpose, elements, and functions. It argues that system thinking is particularly useful for tackling wicked problems like domestic violence, which are characterized by instability, unclear solutions, and social complexity. The essay defines domestic violence, outlines its multifaceted nature, and critiques the inadequacy of conventional approaches. It proposes that system thinking can foster social awareness and provide effective solutions by considering the root causes of violence, promoting communication, and encouraging behavioral change. The essay concludes by reiterating the value of system thinking in addressing sustainability issues, advocating for its integration into higher education, and emphasizing the need for government and police to adopt this approach. The essay references various sources to support its arguments and offers a comprehensive overview of how system thinking can be instrumental in solving complex societal problems.

System Thinking Is Critical In Developing Solutions to Sustainability
Challenges
Introduction
The research essay will discuss the applicability of system thinking approach in dealing with
the complex problems. System thinking is different in comparison to traditional thinking
because it focuses on the inter relationship between the different components used in the
system (Jenkins and Andenoro, 2016). The relevance of system thinking approach will be
discussed in dealing with the problem of Domestic Violence. Now-a-days, several countries
are facing domestic violence problems. Domestic violence is a root cause for many other
problems in the system. This is an alarming situation and traditional methods are failed to
find the solution to this problem (Benson, 2017). In this essay will check whether system
thinking approach will be beneficial in sustainability challenges or not.
A system is a set of different parts which are interrelated to each other which as a single unit
works for a single goal. The research will help in understanding the argument whether system
thinking is useful in developing a solution to sustainability challenges. System thinking
mainly puts an eye on the individual part & interrelationship between these parts can produce
a definite solution for different problems in the society (Benson, 2017). The problem like
Domestic violence is considered as the wicked problem in society. Since system thinking is a
very long discussion so here will talk about the counter arguments.

System Thinking Is Critical In Developing Solutions to Domestic Violence
System thinking has been founded by Professor Jay Forrester in 1956 (Benson, 2017). Early
there was another thinking approach known as traditional think. It is much different between
the modern or system thinking approach and traditional thinking. Traditional analysis or
Traditional thinking approach aims at what is being studied while system thinking looks for
an interrelationship between the different parts of the system (Benson, 2017). Today world is
moving towards the globalization or in simple our world is going advanced day by day which
creates a lot of problem in our society and system thinking can help to resolve such problem.
Generally, there are three parts of system thinking which are as follow: first is the purpose,
second are elements, third are functions. The first part of system thinking aims to describe
which system thinking has been adopted (Jenkins and Andenoro, 2016). The second part lay
emphasis on different elements which are working together for a common goal in system
thinking (Coker, 2016). Lastly, there is need to see the interrelationship between different
elements like how they have connected what result they are giving (Benson, 2017). System
thinking focus on how one constituent of the system will interact with another constituent of
the system. The nature of system thinking makes it enable to solve the complex problem
faced by the society.
System thinking is very useful in dealing with the problem which involves interrelationship
between different politicians to solve the complex problems, recurring problems which
cannot be solved by early efforts (Coker, 2016). Sustainability challenges are also called the
adaptive challenges because they have pre established protocols and procedures which cannot
be implemented in such situation. There is no defined procedure or approach to deal with
most wicked sustainability challenges. System thinking can be useful in changing our
previous mental thinking to deal with the problems of sustainability because it contains
process, technologies and set of skills (Jenkins and Andenoro, 2016). The argument that the

mental thinking using system thinking involves certain steps first knowing the issue using
dynamic thinking and system as cause thinking second is Building understanding which is
done by using operational thinking, scientific thinking and generic thinking third is
Communication using emphatic thinking. The problems which arise or may arise at that time
are always the simpler one (Laing, 2016). Sometimes it is so complex to deal it in a different
way with system thinking.
Now, as it is observed that the critical system thinking plays important role in adopting a
foremost method in solving some of the wicked problems how it finds the interrelationship
between different parts of the system, the issues or the problems that have to deal with in the
society (Laing, 2016). One such issue will be discussed with the resolution of such issues
using system thinking. When it is discussed about the wicked problems it identifies such that
complex problem whose solution is result of different elements (Mahajan, 2011).
Domestic violence is considered as the wicked problem because it has all the features of a
wicked problem. Wicked problems are not stable, no clear solution and socially complex in
nature. Domestic problem is rated as a complex problem because there are various
interconnected variables and elements attached to it (Mahajan, 2011). The increasing family
rates are equally affecting both personal life and society in which ones live. Now obesity is
affecting the health of young children and adults. This domestic violence problem causes
severe effects on the individual health as well as mental torture effect social behaviour some
times which cause crime. But firstly will define domestic violence (Azoulay, 2013). Multiple
forms of abuse characterize the experience resulting in physical and sexual and or
psychological damage, forced social isolation, economic deprivation, or behaviour which
causes the victim to live in fear. The term family and domestic violence usually refer to abuse
against your partner, while family violence is a broader expression containing family and
domestic violence and the abuse of children, and other family members (Azoulay, 2013). Not

only on elders but it also affects the children mentality as the children growing up in a violent
environment and they experience ongoing and pervasive fear, worry, confusion, self-blame
and exposure to multiple insidious forms of violence and abuse. In spite of the seriousness of
Domestic violence problem, the police and socialist organizations are considering as a simple
problem and trying to change individual behaviour rather that to solve them (Azoulay, 2013).
They do not want different ways to solve such problems because it is complex as well it has
complex solutions as well since the behaviour plays important role change in behaviour is
very important for an individual to compete with such problem.
System thinking can provide ways to deal with the complex problem like a domestic problem
and it will be a new beginning for the social awareness in our society (Rubin, 2008). The
system approach has been very useful in dealing with various family and domestic violence
such as binding up the relationship so to reduce the possibility if separation, secondly mental
health and control because it has a high risk serious mental problems. This approach has a
brilliant history of past 50 years (Rubin, 2008). A system has seen the problems from a
different view to find out interconnection between different levels.
A system thinking approach also considers the importance of different circumstances and
condition under which the problem has arisen &has been different in every form and the
impact of those circumstances during the implementation phase (Wendt, 2014). When
dealing with wicked problems under system thinking approach even a small change in one
element or part can make a big change on the other elements. In dealing with domestic
violence problem the first task of the persons who are responsible dealing and finding
solutions for such problems to see what is the root of that problem (Wendt, 2014). Many
social activists avoid discussion with individuals over violence problem because they have
large work load, less knowledge about the practices used for domestic violence problem and
minimum resources. The activists need to change their approach while dealing with domestic

violence problem (Wilcox, 2006). Since, it is a complex problem and people who had a
responsibility to make people aware need to have the information about best practices to deal
with violence problem. They need to counsel the victim people in the effective and improved
way. They can reduce the complexity of the domestic violence problem by focusing on the
process rather than outcome. They need to improve their communication with the patients
because many victims or people who involved are informed remain uninformed about the
prevention techniques (Wilcox, 2006). Some it has seen that such violence happens it is
considered as a personal or family matter and activist cops or any other hesitate to interferer,
this is due to different government law and rules which do not allow anyone to interfere in i
any personal matter of any individual but on the other hand any such thing happens same
laws has strict punishment but rarely the persons are aware of this and activist should deal
with them (Wilcox, 2006).
One method is to access the risk, study the current behaviour of people, convincing them for
a change in behaviour, set goals and help them in combating against the barriers. The main
objective of system thinking approach is to create an atmosphere which encourages
communication, feedback, and improvement. A social awareness team consists of experts can
take the responsibility to increase the awareness about effect and consequences in the minds
of people how to extend it can damage them. It is required to make such a perspective
environment which will see domestic violence as a wicked problem rather than considering it
as a simple problem (Ahmad, Soskolne and Ahmed, 2011). The system of methodologies
presented two dimensions to understand this problem. The first dimension talked about nature
of the system which is changing from simple to complex and second dimension talked about
the relationship between the participants. On the basis of overall research, it can be system
thinking approach has provided multiple methodologies to generate knowledge, finding

interrelation ships between different elements and reducing the impact of the violence
problem. Today we to involve system thinking approach in the course of the higher education
programmers (Ahmad, Soskolne and Ahmed, 2011). The inclusion of system thinking
approach will enable students to see the complex sustainability challenges from complex
views of the society. The teachers need to show the students practical application of system
thinking by applying system thinking in the design of course syllabus. In the essays discussed
about the domestic violence challenges but sustainability problems are not limited up-to
domestic violence problem (Ahmad, Soskolne and Ahmed, 2011). Teaching concepts of
system thinking will help students in dealing with environmental problems also.
Conclusion:
In this research essay, we had seen what system is and how it works. Since it deals with the
problems with the elements which are interconnected has a complete process to solve them.
An example of domestic violence how is caused, what are the consequences of it and how
this problem has to solved by system thinking process. Some of the recommendation about
this system thing approach. Since system thinking has been applied to those problems which
have no definite solutions (Wendt, 2014). It is easy to work on the problems if the boundaries
of the problem have been decided and studied that system thinking approach is very useful in
dealing with the problems of sustainability because this approach looks the things from a
macroscopic view rather than seeing a shorter picture.
Finally, we can system thinking is very much useful in dealing with sustainability challenges.
The traditional method used for dealing with the problem of domestic are not providing an
effective result, this problem is growing continuously at a rapid pace (Wendt, 2014).
Government and police need to give their time and effort to develop various objectives for

applying system thinking approach in dealing with the problem of domestic violence. Many
countries have successfully adopted the system thinking approach to deal with the complex
problem. Many countries have selected various factors and relationship between different
elements to deal with the problem of domestic violence (Wendt, 2014). Though people are
using system thinking from last 50 years still the experts said it is a time consuming process
with no limitations.

References
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Azoulay, A. (2013). Potential History: Thinking through Violence. Critical Inquiry,
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Benson, D. (2017). Domestic Violence and Protecting Children: New Thinking and
Approaches, Nicky Stanley and Cathy Humphreys. The British Journal of Social Work.
Coker, D. (2016). Domestic Violence and Social Justice. Violence Against Women,
22(12), pp.1426-1437.
Jenkins, D. and Andenoro, A. (2016). Developing Critical Thinking Through Leadership
Education. New Directions for Higher Education, 2016(174), pp.57-67.
Laing, L. (2016). Secondary Victimization: Domestic Violence Survivors Navigating the
Family Law System. Violence Against Women.
Mahajan, P. (2011). Critical Analysis of Domestic Violence Act, 2005. SSRN Electronic
Journal.
Rubin, L. (2008). A critical interdisciplinary analysis of domestic violence
intervention. PsycCRITIQUES, 53(8).
Rubin, L. (2008). A critical interdisciplinary analysis of domestic violence
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Wendt, S. (2014). Social Work and Domestic Violence: Developing Critical &
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Wilcox, P. (2006). Communities, care and domestic violence. Critical Social Policy,
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