Introduction
People live in different kinds of environment which could affect their behavior. As the people change their environment, the environment also changes them in some ways. In recent years the evolution of psychology has been marked by an increasing acceptance of systems basic proposition of systems / ecological approach. Psychologists see the systems theories as a promising tool for the integration of knowledge particularly in the areas of social and organizational psychology. Such systems conception often resembled the Lewinian theory, which states that behavior is both a function of a person and environment. The use of systems terms and ecological concepts is increasingly common in psychology, and in particular, community psychology. Interest in systems theory began with the development of general systems theory during the 1950′s, and led to the adoption of an ecological-systems orientation which recognized the environment as a major determinant of human behavior and experience. Community psychology developed as a sub-discipline concerned with the systems-like relationships linking environmental forces, social processes, and psychological health. Community Psychology deals with the relationships of the individual to communities and the wider society. It seeks to understand the quality of life of individuals, communities, and society. It also aims to enhance quality of life through collaborative research.
Basic propositions of systems / ecological approach
Environment and behavior are inseparable
Understanding of person/environment relationships requires an interaction
As the environment influence human behavior, humans also change the environment. An example is when several cultures shared ideas of one another. Colonization leads to changes in religion, practices and social norms of other cultures, like for example Europeans spread Christianity all over the world. It eliminated the practice of paganism and other ancient religions in Asia, thus changing the person’s perception of what is right and what is wrong.
Environment and behavior interact continuously
Environment and behavior change continuously. The invention of modern technology changes the environment that made human behavior adapt to such changes. The construction of modern infrastructures changes both the environment as well as the behavior of people. For example, innovations in communication made people more interactive to one another. It could disseminate ideas faster which made people updated about current events, unlike before when information is slowly spread by mails and by words of mouth. Now, people can have easy access to information and ideas that could help them.
References
1. Education Resources Information Center, The Ecological System Approach in Community Psychology[Online] Available at: http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED201931&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED201931 [Accessed 19 Feb 2010]
2. Psycnet, Intervention from a systems-ecological perspective [Online] Available at: http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=1985-20654-001&CFID=6390935&CFTOKEN=80855986 [Accessed 19 Feb 2010]
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