System Theory/Thinking: Principles of Organizational and Social Systems (part 3)

Albert Einstein, in “Ideas and Opinions” wrote that "A human being is part of the Whole...He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest...a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us.” He went on and added that, “Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.” (1954). He is clearly pointing out that we, as human beings should not restrict and isolate ourselves within our comfort zone. Einstein compares this scenario as equal to self-imprisonment. If we analyze the next paragraph on system theory by Bertalanffy, we will be able to understand that his primary goal on the application of the system theory is to achieve a view of the whole world as a great civilization.

The system theory, as propounded by Bertalanffy, was to achieve a general perspective; a coherent view of the “world as a great civilization,” a framework in which all disciplines could be understood in their place. As an interdisciplinary area of study, the system theory deals primarily with properties of systems as a whole, and it focuses on organizations and the interdependence of existing relationships. System theory has been also integrated into other areas of study such as sociology, and in recent years, it has been developed to provide techniques for studying systems in holistic ways to supplement traditional methods. System theory has been considered simply as a humanistic extension of the natural sciences.  Bertalanffy (1981) believes that the field of science, speaking in the way of oversimplification, consists of three majors levels which are: (a) physical nature, (b) organisms, and (c) human behaviors. (p. 16). He also added that, “The fact that man lives in a universe, not of things, but of symbolic stand-ins for things, indicates the difference between biological “values” and specifically human values… these symbolic universes may be adaptive and utilitarian in biological sense, as when technology allows man to control nature.” (p. 17).

System Thinking

After careful analyzes of “A Systems View of Man” by Bertalanffy (1981) and “Ideas and Opinions” by Einstein (1954), I analyzed the system thinking as presented by Thornton, Peltier, and Perreault, (2004) about educators and their understanding about schools as complex interdependent social system. They emphasized that with that kind of knowledge, it is possible to move the institution forward. Without these kinds of understanding, they will have little or no progress at all, and they can only address the symptoms and not the root of the problems. They suggest that the leadership should see the entire system as a complex organization with many interdependent components and examine how schools can avoid the barriers to system thinking regarding student achievement. It gives examples of failed educational programs that have been systematically used by veteran teachers. They try to implement them as new programs, but if checked carefully, one will be able to identify their long historical record. This is an example of non-systems thinking. As educators, it is important to avoid creating short-term solutions such as teaching to the test or test taking skills that are ineffective against long-term solutions.  It shows that, when systems thinking becomes an integral part of the instructional process, the benefits of the systems thinking as a method for improving student achievement will be enormous” (pp. 222)

The Fifth Discipline: Principles of Organizational and Social Systems (part 2)

Senge presents the five disciplines as crucial components for learning organization which is built on common vision, teamwork, openness, flexibility, ability to act under unfamiliar conditions, support for one another and so on. The learning organization according to Senge is an organization where people do not simply isolate themselves in their comfort zone and enjoy the exclusiveness. It is a place where together they work and share responsibility based on their common goal by creating teams to confront a diverse range of issues that an organization might face. Senge explains that (a) team learning is a group of different people willing to think together by promoting true dialogues for success. It means getting out of the comfort zone, being open minded, and presenting ideas openly for the sake of the team, (b) building shared vision by assuming that all members of the team are aware and excited about the future they want to achieve for the organization they are creating by doing all they can in order to become successful, (c) mental models as the ability to separate things, and being able and capable of working on assumptions, and to discuss and deal openly with them. It is about understanding one’s functionality, (d) personal mastery which focuses on developing personal visions and goals by improving the ability to accomplish, and be always positive in believing in oneself, and (e) system thinking, which is the ability of examining, improving, and fixing the entire system instead of isolated components of the organization. As an example, let us analyze a case by Yongmi Schibel regarding “Integration and the Role of Local Authorities” (2003) in Europe, and the way they are dealing with this matter.

After a review of “Integration and the Role of Local Authorities” by Schibel (2003), I concluded that the European Union is concerned with the issue of immigrant integration and their lack of cohesiveness. It is true that as a whole, they have stepped up border security in order to avoid ‘terrorist’ problems, but they also are dealing with the issue of population, especially with immigrants of an Arabic or Islamic background. Despite government efforts toward community integration, the majority of immigrants are still residing in urban areas, where in many instances there are less jobs or economic opportunities, resulting in competition among themselves. Because of this matter, there have been many public debates in Europe regarding how to welcome economically viable immigrants versus those who are not needed for economic prosperity. There is an interest to integrate immigrants and minorities into European Union’s economic and social mainstream communities and governments are looking into providing housing, health care benefits, social protection, and employment as part of the integration process.

Civil servants in Europe have been analyzing different approaches of social integration and inclusion, and reports have shown that the security and equal treatment of residents is crucial for any concept of integration. Without security one does not feel like a valid member of his/her community/society and has little incentive for integration, and the government has to play the pivotal role as the central force in legislating fairness, equal treatment, and equal rights, as well as laws against discrimination. The framework for integration policies argues that governments at all levels need to provide adequate resources, administrative support, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of integration activities.

It is clear that the civil society makes important contributions in terms of social integration, but they also need to hold their government accountable in order to solve the issue of integration. The European commission supported social and civil partner organizations in promoting a conference in Brussels on “Immigration: The Role of Civil Society in Promoting Integration”. They discussed labor relations, social integration policies, citizenship, and political rights. Officials called for a stronger link between immigration and integration policies and national employment strategies. Researchers have found and proposed some solutions for effective integration. They propose low cost housing, training of local public servants in multiculturalism and cross-cultural communication, support for minorities, ethnic arts, and culture. The study also makes powerful recommendations about the continuing government responsibility in promoting integration (p.99 - 103).

Honestly, one can conclude that there exists a high level of cohesiveness in Europe as a whole and there is a deep understanding of the issue they are dealing with. They are focusing on the resolution as a system and not an isolated process by using pragmatic system theory and knowledge management principles.   

Goals and Scholars: Principles of Organizational and Social Systems (part 1)

This article is about understanding system thinking and system theories. It presents both theoretical and pragmatic dimensions from prominent scholars, and perhaps some solutions to help immigrant populations achieve their dreams of integration and citizenship. In this work, I am seeking (a) to analyze and understand the ongoing changes in the laws of the United States and the impact they will have on immigrants, (b) to study the participation/collaboration of immigrants in organizations throughout the United States, (c) to evaluate multiple organizational and social systems, including citizenship assistance programs, government policies, and academic papers, as well as (d) to seek to learn the possibilities of creating an immigrant virtual center for citizenship study and professional development/improvement, and (f) to understand the thinking behind theories of organization and social systems from prominent scholars, and the way their theories have affected organizational development. This study will also analyze and place much of emphasis on principles of knowledge management.

It is apparent that system thinking has revolutionized and influenced changes in terms of organizational and social systems, and the way they should operate. Because of my interests in multiple dimensions of system thinking and theories, I examined Barbara Pasamonik in her study, “The Paradoxes of Tolerance”, analyzes the paradoxes of political correctness and the faith in the positive value of tolerance. This is defined as social virtue and a political phenomenon that allows the coexistence of people in a peaceful manner, regardless of their views or cultural differences. Pasamonik (2004) said that even if we are not tolerant, we may behave as such if we are merely indifferent or pragmatic, but she acknowledges that some people question if tolerance is right or wrong, and the answer depends on the individual case (p.206).

Considering the importance of this topic, I do not want to assume that the audience knows the scholars I intend to analyze. For this matter, I begin by comparing them and by presenting a brief introduction of each one of them before moving forward with this work.

Who Are These Scholars?

Peter Senge:  Was born in 1947 and graduated with a degree in engineering from Stanford, and continuing on for a Masters in Social Systems Modeling at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and consequently went for his Ph.D. in Management. Currently, he is a senior lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  He is founding chair of the “Society for Organizational Learning,” and his current areas of special interest focus on decentralizing the role of leadership in organizations in order to boost the capacity of all people to work productively toward common goals. Senge (1990) sees organizations as places where people can expand their capacity to create the results they seek, where new ideas are encouraged, collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together (p.3).

Ludwig Von Bertalanffy: A native of Austria, Ludwig von Bertalanffy was born in a small village near Vienna in September of 1901. In 1918 he started his studies with history of art and philosophy at the University of Innsbruck and then at the University of Vienna. He finished his Ph.D. with a thesis on the German physicist and philosopher Gustav Theodor Fechner in 1926, and published his first book on theoretical biology two years later (Modern Theories of Development). As one of the most important theoretical biologists of the first half of this century, Von Bertalanffy developed the “Open Systems,” and the “General System Theory,” and was one of the founding fathers and vice-president of the “Society for General System Theory”. Bertalanffy began formulating “Systems Theory” in the early 1920's but did not publish his ideas until after the Second World War. He worked in Vienna, Austria, many areas in the United States, Great Britain, and Canada as a scholar, and published over 200 articles on theoretical biology and “General System” in different journals and countries. During 1937 and 1938, as a Rockefeller Fellow at the University of Chicago, United States of America, he gave his first lecture about the “General System Theory” as a methodology that is valid for all sciences.

Stafford Beer:  He was British scholar who was born in 1926 and died in 2002. He studied Philosophy at London University. He is a provocative, creative, and outstanding thinker in the field of management. While serving in the British Army, Beer became involved in operations research during the Second World War, and he was quick to identify the advantages it could bring to business. In the mid 1970s, he renounced material possessions and moved to mid-Wales, where he lived in an almost austere style, developing strong interests in poetry and art. In the 1980s he established a second home on the west side of downtown Toronto and lived part of the year in both residences. Beer kept active with work in his field and in 1994 he published “Beyond Dispute: The Invention of “Team Syntegrity”, a formal model, built on the idea of systems for non-hierarchical problem solving. Also, in “The Heart of Enterprise” Beer makes it clear that every enterprise is a system, and that they must be viable. He believes that we need laws that govern the capacity of any enterprise to maintain independent existence and  “The Heart of Enterprise” provides many examples and Beer provides many useful analytical frameworks for understanding and managing an enterprise, be it public or private.

Howard T. Odum: He was born in 1924 and died in 2002. He was an American ecologist and a scholar who played an important role in the development of the field of biogeochemistry by creating the idea of embodied energy as a unifying principle of energy flow through living systems. He defined it as a measure of energy used in the past and thus is different from a measure of energy now. Odum earned his B.S. in Zoology at the University of North Carolina and stopped his education for three years where he joined the U.S. Armed Forces. He later went to Yale where he earned his Ph.D. in Zoology. With his brother Eugene, he started the first English-language textbook on systems ecology, Fundamentals of Ecology, which was published in 1953 and had a major influence. Odum’s knowledge of the field led him to write 15 books and over 300 papers.

Kenneth Boulding: He was born in Liverpool, England in 1910 and died in 1993. As an undergraduate student at Oxford University, he published his first paper in 1932. In America he spend some time at Harvard and to Chicago where he wrote several papers on Capita theory. In 1937 when he came back from Scotland, he wrote the two-volume textbook, Economic Analysis - the epitome of the Neoclassical- Keynesian Synthesis. He wrote, "I believe myself to be writing a book on economic theory which will largely revolutionize – not, I suppose, at once, but in the course of the next ten years – the way the world thinks about economic problems" (http://cepa.newschool.edu/het/essays/keynes/keynesrev.htm). He insisted on bringing in more aspects of economic behavior into economic life. Boulding was also a poet, ethicist, and social philosopher, and as his practical efforts demonstrate, a scholar of social conflict, war, and peace.

Homelessness: What is the Solution?

In order to find solutions for this issue of homelessness in America, it is necessary for the entire country, as the richest nation on earth, to understand the need for social balance by embracing and providing everyone with at least the fundamentals of life, such as a place they can call home and pursuit of happiness, instead of the protection of only a few. Often times, homelessness becomes public fear. In reality, homelessness is the result of American social, economic, and political issues. In many instances it is the failure of the system to provide proper attention to the basic needs of people. Homelessness is the responsibility of community, local, state, and federal governments, and above all, individual citizens.

In many cities, local authorities are much more concerned about cleaning their towns by taking the homeless out of the main streets and out of sight, without taking into consideration human rights. Some of these people have severe illnesses, which require special attention and accommodations. There is a need for more effective street outreach programs. As far as I am concerned, local authorities are trying their best to resolve this issue. I must say that I do not know if their best is enough – especially with this major economic crisis we are facing. If Lowell as a whole tries to solve this issue, we will be a stronger and happier community. All of us should work together to find a solution, because homelessness is real for many people and it does not discriminate. As a major problem, the solution to homelessness requires common efforts. And according to the American’s creed, all people are created equal and deserve the right to happiness.

 

Quality Education for our Children with Quality Educators

A New Englander pragmatist, philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer, John Dewey (1859 – 1952) once said that “Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.” If this is still true today, Lowell is a life giver. Lowell has been investing in quality education for our youngsters and since I came here eight years ago, I have witnessed outstanding initiatives. These include (a) the freshmen academy, which is doing an excellent job with our 9^th graders, (b) the placement of guidance counselors in house offices, making it much easier to resolve student issues, (b) instructional specialists offering direct support to teachers, (d) the housemaster internship which is bringing quicker solutions to multiple discipline issues, (e) the new teacher academy, (f) the centralization of student support services, (g) and several other initiatives that empower teachers and students directly.

As an educational practitioner, I hope that the city of Lowell continues to encourage quality education for our children by providing them highly qualified professionals. Many of our students come from fragmented and economically disadvantaged households and often their only hope is to receive quality education. It is our collective responsibility to tell them that together, we will achieve despite the many obstacles we face as a community.  Our youngsters should be able to believe in American’s exceptionalism and the ability to accomplish their dreams because as a community, we are united and we possess the ability and the will to achieve excellence.

I therefore, kindly implore that we stand together and do all we can to erase the widespread notion that our schools are declining in quality. Lowell High School has highly qualified and caring professionals who are cognizant of the limitations we face as a community, state, and nation. They understand and put their hearts and souls into maximizing and celebrating students’ achievement.  We need to retain all of our staff members and allow them to continue to do what is best for our children. We are committed to work hard for our students because we understand the value of education, and our students count on us to support their journey to success.

Being Cape-Verdean in a Northeastern State, USA (Part 1)

In these series I want to present the role that migration has played in the lives of the Cape-Verdean people, particularly their exodus to the northeastern United States. I analyze the racial identity development of these Cape-Verdeans and consider their immigration status by presenting the viewpoints of many individuals who were interviewed individually and as groups. All of them were assigned pseudonyms in order to protect their identities. I also examine both old and new segments of migration by presenting the perspective of Cape-Verdean immigrants with diverse background, social status, and aspirations.

Interesting themes emerge from this work such as the need for effective, pragmatic, and visionary leadership to lead Cape-Verdean immigrants to a better understanding of the American reality and to encourage them to become citizens of the United States which will permit them to participate more actively in both social and political arenas, and to take advantages of opportunities available to citizens of this country.

Gregorio is between 33 and 38 years old. He had been in America for approximately three months when we began our first interview. He came as an immigrant with a petition filed by his parents. In Cape Verde, he had completed his secondary education, and he was thinking about eventually going to college in the United States. In addition to his secondary school degree, he also was trained as a professional accountant and was working as an accountant in Cape Verde. That job is a dream job for many Cape-Verdeans because, in addition to very good pay, it also provides job security. Back home, one of his responsibilities was to pay local people remittances sent by their migrant families. I asked him if he was motivated to come to America because he was dealing with all the money sent by immigrants, his answer was negative. “I came so I can give my children a chance to succeed in this country.”

Since his arrival, he has kept a low profile and does not socialize with the overall community. In addition to being with his family almost exclusively, he works five and sometimes six days a week from 5:00 PM till 5:00 AM. When he gets home around 6 AM, he goes to bed until 3:30 PM when he gets ready to go back to his routine. 

Currently, despite the fact that his English skills are limited, he is driving. I asked him about the driver’s license, and he told me that the law of this state allows him to drive for six months with his Cape-Verdean driver license. It is evident that he is seeking information to facilitate his life. However, it appears that working and saving money are two of his top priorities because his life has been sleep-work-sleep.

He believes that being Cape-Verdean is a right and privilege from the time one is born. However, to maintain one’s “capeverdeanity”, it is necessary to retain traditions and customs, such as language, food, music, and other issues relevant to Cape-Verdeans, as well as have the ability to integrate, he added. He also believes that the meaning of being Cape-Verdean is synonymous with being an intelligent and hard-working person.

When we talked about racial identity, immigration, and Integration, he believes that Cape-Verdeans do negotiate their identity because success in America is not guaranteed due to some American-centered behavior that discourages immigrants’ progress. As examples, he said that Americans value American degrees and experience primarily, and immigrants are forced into low-paying jobs. One can see many qualified fellow Cape-Verdeans working as janitors. Therefore, he condemns those who have making money and acquiring materials as their primary goal. To him, racial identity is seen as an individual phenomenon, and many misconceptions such as we are all equal in America have surface in light of these arguments. However, he said that Cape-Verdeans need to be more honest in terms of making this country look like paradise because it is affecting all Cape-Verdeans, including those left behind.

Despite the fact that he is new to this country, he has experienced situations where men are better paid than women, he said. He is not against that. He believes that salary should be according to one’s ability to perform. Prior education is relevant for integration because it provides the ability to learn languages that could eventually foster integration. In conclusion, he believes that being educated, becoming a citizen, bringing family from Cape Verde to the United States, and purchasing property are fundamental for those seeking to integrate.

According to him, making money is the primary goal of many Cape-Verdeans, and consequently, they have no time to learn and integrate into the American culture. As a result, they blame America for what Cape-Verdeans are becoming. He feels that, in general, the Cape-Verdean community is uninformed and unorganized. He feels that there is a lack of vision or leadership to encourage others to go to school and achieve academic success instead of blaming the system. Also, he believes that to claim that the English language is a major barrier to success is an excuse because Cape-Verdean people have the ability to learn any language and that acquiring materials has more importance than family. Therefore, Cape-Verdeans have to work excessively. Gregorio believes that Cape-Verdeans are materialists because they came from a poor country. Despite the fact that some believe in integration, they are not seeking information that would lead to an effective integration. They need to become educated, obey laws, and embrace fundamental American values.

Gregorio feels strongly that Cape-Verdeans are misinformed in this country and they should seek help from those who are informed. He made it clear that he would rather be in a different part of America because he feels that Cape-Verdean immigrants are not united in this country. He said that some fellow Cape-Verdeans are egotistical. Often, they keep relevant information to themselves and do not share with others. “As a community, we should support each other,” he added. He also believes that very few Cape-Verdeans achieve academic success, and one of their excuses is the language barrier. They need to understand the importance of school, citizenship, and learning English to become independent.

Dr. Julio C de Carvalho

The Road 3

Regardless of the reasons one is in the United States, the process to become an U.S. citizen requires many steps and has many obstacles. There are many anti-immigrant sentiments but there are also many people who believe immigration is pivotal for this nation.
Despite of many systematic pejorative and demeaning accusations from the anti-immigrant American nationalists, Lamm (1990) wrote, “I do not believe immigrants are responsible for the social problems that afflict the United States” (p.107).

In my opinion, the decentralization of political and economic powers will help solve the major economic gap that exists between people. According to Daily Paul Liberty Forum (2009), the United States wealth distribution is: top 1% own 38.1%, top 96-99% own 21.3%, top 90-95% own 11.5%, and bottom 40% of population has 0.2% of all wealth.

In one of his interviews published in The Sun in June 2002, Ritzer said that it is clear that our society is set up to favor the wealthy and that by some definitions; it is the most successful economic system in the history. Yet, he added, it is a system that disproportionately benefits a relatively small percentage of the people. If one follows the tax cut formula enacted by G. W Bush administration and re-authorized (not too long ago) by Barack Obama, one will be able to understand the magnitude of the problem- regarding tax credit which is mostly awarded to the wealthiest Americans.

The American society can be challenging because of the complexity of social relations and other generalizations about people and their way of living. The American social structure is (un)fortunately complex and we the people have a tendency to make it more complicated because of our behaviors. As an example, we should revisit the two last debates regarding immigration reform. There were many opposing views, even within the same political parties or families. Decisions were made based on re-election prognostics instead of the common good. In Washington DC and across the country -- being popular is more relevant to many elected officials, especially during the election seasons.

It is apparent that the he lack of understanding of the globalized world is pushing many people to develop anti-immigrant sentiments. Many Americans do not feel that opportunities should be available to those that have circumvented the legal immigration process (such as arrival on visitor visas and failure to return). People ignore many important facts and consequently, they make many decisions based on their biases, lack of analyzes and critical thinking. 
When we deal with immigration, there have (always) been two sides arguing how good or bad immigration is for this country. Many conservative and extremist Americans oppose the opportunities for legalization to be given to the hard working and so-called illegal and/or undocumented immigrants who earn the minimum wage and are exposed to ruthless work conditions.

During George W. Bush tenure, the U.S. House of Representatives wanted to criminalize illegal immigration and on the other side, the Senate wanted to create a path to legalization. This issue was dividing this country.  Ritzer (2002) questioned the rationality and humanism of this society. He pointed out that we accept both the rationality and humanism because they are part of our ‘mythological code’ meaning that what is good for capitalism is good for the country, and consequently good for the people, regardless of who they are.

I hope I have been able to persuade you to persevere because it is an important aspect for social integration and achievement. The self-determination and willingness to take action in order to achieve the American dream is also paramount. Immigrants should believe that future would depend greatly on the work done now in order to guarantee stability, especially when they walk their way deep into the process of U.S. naturalization. I must say that the process of integration and citizenship in the United States can be confusing, difficult, and intimidating for many immigrants--but once one is an American citizen, the advantages surpass the pain. (Being Cape-Verdean in America - forthcoming).

References

Bentley, J. (1986). Refugees: Search for haven. Julian Messner. New York.

Daily Paul Liberty Forum (2009), US wealth distribution: 10% of US citizens own 70.9% of all US assets.  Retrieved March 28, 2011 from http://dailypaul.com/111232/us-wealth-distribution-10-of-us-citizens-own-709-of-all-us-assets

Dudley, W. (2002). Illegal immigration: Opposing viewpoints. Thomson Gale.

Dudley, W. (2003). Examining issues through political cartoons: Illegal immigration. Thomson Gale.

Lamm, R. (March, 1990). The U.S. should limit immigration. In Bender, D., Leone, B.& Dudley, W. (1990). Immigration: Opposing viewpoints. (pp.105-112). San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, Inc.

Ritzer, G. (June 2002). The disenchanted Kingdom: George Ritzer on the Disappearance of Authentic American culture. Published in the Sun and retrieved from http://www.derrickjensen.org/ritzer.html on May 1, 2006.

Wolf, E. R. (1982). Europe and the people without history. The Regents of the University of California