Chapter 5: Building Relationships with the Community Flashcards
What are the beliefs of a person-in-environment perspective on relationship development?
-People have biological, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions
-Their environment comprises physical, interpersonal, and socio-cultural components
-All these dimensions and components interact and provide a foundation for relationships between individuals, groups, organizations, etc.
What is a genogram?
A chart used when working from a person-in-environment perspective to show individuals and their relationships to one another in a family
What is a social network map?
A type of genogram used when working from a person-in-environment perspective that includes all relationships within and outside a family
What is a community asset map?
A type of genogram used when working from a person-in-environment perspective that is made up of 3 components:
-Resources located within and that are under a community’s control
-Resources located within a community but controlled by outsiders
-Resources originating outside the community that are controlled by outsiders
What is general systems theory?
-An interdisciplinary perspective that emphasizes interactions and interdependence
What are some of the key beliefs/focuses of general systems theory?
-A system is a group of interrelated parts that perform some function together
-Focuses on the contributions of different components to maintain system survival/meet the system’s goal
-Systems need to be adaptable
-Individuals have unique perspectives on there realities and there are no universal truths
-A system is more than the sum of its parts
What is a focal system?
The system of interest/focus in general systems theory (ex. a neighbourhood)
What is a suprasystem?
The larger systems that a focal system is connected to, in general systems theory (ex. the town or city)
What is a subsystem?
The smaller systems that a focal system is connected to, in general systems theory (ex. a street or residential building)
What are boundaries, in general systems theory?
Patterns of behaviour that characterize the relationships within a system and give it an identity (ex. who is included in the idea of “family”)
What is meant by “permeability” in general systems theory?
System boundaries are movable, to different degrees; some systems are closed (resistant to outside influence) while others are open (amenable to influence from outside the system)
What is meant by “role” in general systems theory?
A culturally determined pattern of behaviour expected of an individual in a specified social relationship; consistency is expected for a particular person in a particular conditions
What is a “role” in general systems theory?
A culturally determined pattern of behaviour expected of an individual in a specified social relationship
What is meant by “relationships” in general systems theory?
Mutual exchange, dynamic interaction, and affective + cognitive + behavioural connection between two or more individuals/systems
What is “interface” in general systems theory?
The point of contact between two systems where communication takes place, information is exchanged, and energy is transferred
What is “synergy” in general systems theory?
What happens when two systems combine efforts
According to general systems theory, what are the 3 main functions of systems?
-Goal direction (directing energy toward goals)
-Input (information or energy that comes into the system from other systems)
-Output (what happens after an input has been processed by the system)
What is “feedback” in general systems theory?
A type of input whereby the system gets information about its performance, which the system learns from
What is “differentiation” in general systems theory?
The tendency of systems to become more complex over time, leading to entropy or negative entropy
What are “entropy” and “negative entropy” in general systems theory?
Entropy: progress towards disorganization
Negative entropy: progress toward higher levels of organization
What is “equifinality” in general systems theory?
Recognition that there are many ways to achieve the same goal
What is an “area of action” in general systems theory? What systems does it contain?
-The context for community development which includes all those systems that contribute to or detract from a goal
-Contains the benefit system, action system, and target system
What is a “benefit system” in general systems theory?
The beneficiary of a community change
What is an “action system” in general systems theory?
The community members who do something to disrupt a situation and cause a change