System Theory in Community Development
Andy Tamas
Whitehorse, Yukon and Almonte, Ontario
January, l987 and January, 2000
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Introduction
Community Development is a very complex activity - there are so many elements involved that it seems almost impossible to describe development in a clear and organized manner. Although it is indeed a very complex field, there is a method which can be used to identify many of the components and processes involved in this work. This way of organizing information has been called System Theory.
General System Theory, which was developed by Ludwig von Bertalanffy and others, provides an analytical framework which can be used to describe some of the many factors involved in community development. Some of the key concerns in community development, such as assessing power and influence, understanding the dynamics of inter-group relationships, and considering the changes involved in planning development activities, can be understood and described using System Theory. Terms such as systems and sub-systems, closed and open systems, system boundaries, the transfer of energy or influence across boundaries, feedback and system balance (or homeostasis) can be used to clarify what sometimes seems to be a bewildering array of information involved in community development work.
Other System Theory concepts, such as the description of various environments related to a system, and the very important notion of entropy, can also be used in community development. This paper will describe these basic System Theory concepts in a way which will relate them directly to community development.