Ecological Systems Approach Research Articles

Factors influencing happiness and depression in high-risk pregnant women: a cross-sectional study using the ecological systems approach.

The increasing number of high-risk pregnancies has led to a greater emphasis on psychological well-being in nursing care. However, reducing depression does not automatically equate to increasing happiness. This study aimed to systematically examine the factors influencing happiness and depression among high-risk pregnant women in South Korea. This correlational, cross-sectional study was based on the ecological systems theory. In total, 152 high-risk pregnant women completed a self-report survey questionnaire available online or offline. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis. The first model (individual system) identified pregnancy stress and mindfulness as significant factors influencing both happiness and depression. The second model (microsystem) identified medical status at the time of the survey, maternal-fetal interaction, marital intimacy, and social support as additional significant factors influencing either happiness or depression. In the third model (mesosystem), maternal-fetal interaction and paternal-fetal attachment were no longer identified as significant factors. Although the fourth model (exosystem) did not identify community service as a significant factor, individual (pregnancy stress, mindfulness) and microsystem (marital intimacy) factors were found to influence happiness and depression. Medical status at the time of survey and social support were additional factors that influenced happiness, but not depression. These factors explained 51.2% and 55.5% of the variance in happiness and depression, respectively, among high-risk pregnant women. Different factors at the individual and microsystem levels affected happiness and depression among high-risk pregnant women. Hence, efforts to reduce depression among these women should be accompanied by efforts to actively promote happiness.

A Hermeneutic Study on the Life-World Experiences of Individuals with Respiratory Disabilities through an Ecological Systems Approach

A Hermeneutic Study on the Life-World Experiences of Individuals with Respiratory Disabilities through an Ecological Systems Approach

Management Ecology and Coastal Area Development Policy Bantul and Kulon Regencies Progo

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A mixed-methods evaluation of an ecological systems approach for supporting young children from low-income backgrounds in Singapore

ABSTRACT The number of low-income families in Singapore is increasing. Young children from impoverished backgrounds are at risk of development gaps and challenges. Research has shown that the accumulation of risk factors from adverse childhood experiences can lead to weaker outcomes later in life. The NTUC First Campus (NFC) launched the Child Support Model (CSM) to serve children and families from vulnerable, low-income backgrounds with a range of financial, social and learning support. A 3-year evaluation study using mixed-methods design was conducted to understand the effects of the CSM and the active ingredients in CSM. A cohort of 58 children from families making a monthly income of SGD$3,500 or less participated in the quantitative component where children’s language and cognitive outcomes and classroom engagement were measured at three time points in 2019 (Kindergarten 1) and 2020 (Kindergarten 2). Participating children’s parents and teachers were interviewed in the qualitative component and reported their perspectives and experiences in CSM.

코로나19 사태가 미혼남녀의 결혼인식에 미친 영향에 대한 생태체계적 접근

코로나19 사태가 미혼남녀의 결혼인식에 미친 영향에 대한 생태체계적 접근

Homemaker or breadwinner: labour force participation of Pakistani women

ABSTRACT In recent years, Pakistan has seen an increase in policy efforts to encourage women's participation in the workforce. However, existing research suggests that these policies have not resulted in a proportional increase in women’s labour force participation. This study employs an ecological systems approach to investigate the factors that impact the engagement of tertiary-educated Pakistani women in the labour market and their experiences of employment. Beyond elucidating the barriers to women's employment, the analysis also delves into factors that empower women to navigate the obstacles encountered in their employment journey. Drawing upon a series of comprehensive interviews conducted with 35 Pakistani women and employing a thematic analysis approach, this research dissects the way in which societal norms and values, including notions of honour, the prioritisation of marriage, and the enduring presence of gender inequality within the domestic sphere, constrain women's participation in the labour market. Our findings show that the support extended by father’s and husband’s in facilitating women's pursuit of employment, as well as the personal strategies adopted by women to overcome gender-based discrimination in workplace settings, are pivotal elements that facilitate women’s participation in the labour market.

Affordances and constraints of integrating esports into higher education from the perspectives of students and teachers: An ecological systems approach

This study aimed to investigate the perceived affordances of incorporating esports into higher education using an ecological systems approach that examined the multiple factors shaping behaviours at the individual, interpersonal, and organisational levels. A total of 40 participants, comprising 32 students and 8 teachers, were invited to take part in semi-structured interviews. The data gathered from the interviews underwent qualitative analysis through the employment of thematic analysis methods. The results suggested that esports were perceived as having the potential to promote students’ skills development and foster an interactive learning culture. The study also identified constraints on esports integration at various levels, including student differences (i.e. in gaming interest, skills, attention, and physical capacity) and teachers’ insufficient knowledge (i.e. of esports and related pedagogy and content) at the individual level; concerns about the negative impacts of esports at the interpersonal level; and a lack of effective execution of university leadership at the organisational level. The results of this study offer valuable insights for education leaders into how to effectively exercise leadership in the context of esports. Specifically, the findings underscore the importance of developing professional development programmes for teachers to enhance their knowledge of the use of esports and related pedagogy and teaching content to improve the implementation of esports-based instruction.

Support needs of familiar caregivers caring for persons who are minimally responsive: an ecological system approach

Objective: The main aim of this study was to identify the multidimensional support needs of familiar caregivers and to identify the lessons they had learned throughout the caregiving process. Background: Persons who are minimally responsive require continuous medical care—either at home or at a care facility. The home context is often preferred as it facilitates the care process in a familiar environment and reduces adverse health outcomes, such as mortality. Home care of the person who is minimally responsive is often managed by familiar caregivers who support these individuals in all aspects of daily living. This caregiving experience may be burdensome for the familiar caregiver as increased physical, psychological, emotional, social, and financial requirements, and responsibilities could cause multidimensional stressors. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design using 7 semistructured in-depth interviews was used with 7 familiar caregivers of persons who were/are minimally responsive. These participants were obtained from a private care facility and thematic analysis was used to analyze the in-depth interviews. Results: The ecological systems theory was used to identify and link 11 themes with subthemes to the support needs reported by the caregivers. In addition, the results included the lessons learned by these caregivers from their caregiving journey. Conclusions: From the findings of this study, it is clear that caregivers mostly experience challenges within the microsystem and mesosystem with limited challenges in other systems. These systems are, however, integrated and can impact the individual caregiver substantially. Health care practitioners, in particular, should be aware of caregivers’ support needs and give them adequate support at home.

Cyber offending predictors and pathways in middle adolescence: Evidence from the UK Millennium Cohort Study

Despite the pervasiveness of cyber crime victimisation, knowledge is limited regarding the prevalence, characteristics and pathways of offenders. The present study examines predictors of self-reported engagement in cyber crime in middle adolescence in a large (N = 13,277) longitudinal dataset from the UK Millennium Cohort Study. We adopted an ecological systems approach to examine a range of multicausal, intersecting factors across individual, familial, psychosocial and environmental systems. The overall prevalence of self-reported cyber offending (account hacking or the deployment of viruses) was 5.6% at age 14 and 3.8% at age 17, although persistence over time by the same individuals was relatively low (1.1%). Significant predictors of cyber offending at age 17 were being male, domestic violence between parents, low parental monitoring, low wellbeing, self-harm, exclusion from school, spending more time online gaming, participating in offline leisure activities, and engaging in serious violence (weapon carrying or use), assault, and cyber crime at age 14. Findings indicate that young cyber offenders are often males and those who have experienced a range of risk factors that are connected to poorer wellbeing and engaging in multiple risky/offending behaviours. Implications for theory, policy and practice are discussed.

The ecological dynamics of trumpet improvisation.

The nature of music improvisation continues to provide an interesting showcase of the multifaceted and skilful ways we engage with and act within our environments. Improvising musicians are somehow able to generate musical material in real time that adaptively navigates musical situations. In this article I explore the broader aspects of improvised activity-such as our bodily interactions with the instrument and environment-as they relate to improvised music-making. I do so by drawing upon principles from the embodied cognitive sciences, namely ecological and dynamical systems approaches. Firstly, I introduce the concept of affordances to illustrate the bidirectional relationship between improvisor and environment. I then take a dynamical view, exploring the ways that a trumpet player coordinates their body with their instrument and engages with trumpet affordances in order to navigate musical situations. I continue this dynamical view, taking the improviser to be an adaptive system whose behaviours are self-organised responses to a set of constraints. To conclude, I situate my research within the wider 4E approach. I advocate that 'E' approaches, which take seriously the role of the body-instrument-environment relationship, provide an insightful perspective on the nature of improvisation.

Self-care interventions for advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights – implementation considerations

Self-care refers to the ability of people to promote their own health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability, with or without the support of a health or care worker. Self-care interventions are tools that support self-care as additional options to facility-based care. Recognizing laypersons as active agents in their own health care, the World Health Organization (WHO)’s global normative guideline on self-care interventions recommends people-centred, holistic approaches to health and well-being for sexual and reproductive health and rights. Examples of such interventions include pregnancy self-testing, self-monitoring of blood glucose and/or blood pressure during pregnancy and self-administration of injectable contraception. Building on previous studies and aligning with the WHO classification for self-care, we discuss nine key implementation considerations: agency, information, availability, utilization, social support, accessibility, acceptability, affordability, and quality. The implementation considerations form the foundation of a model implementation framework that was developed using an ecological health systems approach to support sustainable changes in health care delivery.

An ecological systems approach to the difficulties faced by social workers in community home-based care organisations for people living with HIV

ABSTRACT Background: Social workers play an instrumental role in supporting vulnerable populations by among others, designing and implementing support programmes such as community home-based care (CHBC) for People Living with HIV (PLWHIV). Existing research studies have demonstrated their role in championing programmes like support groups, counselling services and material support to PLWHIV and their caregivers as well as the HIV prevention and other advocacy programmes across communities. Within the CHBC programmes for HIV, social workers’ roles include supporting caregivers who care for PLWHIV to manage complex cases that are beyond their competencies and offering the necessary training on patient support. Although the contributions made by social workers in the field of HIV have immensely been documented in various parts of literature, less substantial attention has been given to their challenges particularly when working with PLWHIV through CHBC programmes. Methods: This qualitative research study was designed from exploratory and descriptive strategies and grounded on ecological systems theory to explore the challenges faced by social workers working with PLWHIV through the CHBC programmes. Thirteen social workers were sampled from South Africa’s City of Tshwane Municipality (CTMM) through purposive and snowball techniques, to participate in semi-structured interviews of which the data were analysed thematically and verified according to Lincoln and Guba’s data qualitative data verification strategies. Findings: The findings highlighted several difficulties faced by social workers including difficulties associated with managing challenges faced by PLWHIV, dealing with uncooperative PLWHIV and lack of resources to effectively respond to their clients’ needs. Conclusions: The conditions in which social workers render services to PLWHIV were highlighted by pointing to the complexities resulting from these challenges which further compromises the quality of services rendered to PLWHIV. For the success of HIV programmes, it is essential to support social workers through training, resources, community awareness and income-generating projects.

Applying Complex Adaptive Systems to Build Interdisciplinary Collaborations and Aid in Understanding Complicated Social Phenomena

ABSTRACT The Grand Challenges for Social Work were introduced by the American Academy for Social Work & Social Welfare in 2016, which are social problems that are interrelated and “exceedingly complex”. We discuss the relevance of complexity theory, operationalized by complex adaptive systems (CAS), to the Grand Challenges. CAS moves beyond current ecological systems approaches and is more appropriate for studying nonlinear, dynamic phenomena such as the Grand Challenges. We explore ideas for incorporating CAS into the social work curriculum at all levels. Adopting CAS into social work practice and research via changes to the curriculum will complement current practices and can facilitate interdisciplinary research teams, and thus has tremendous promise for helping social workers address the Social Work Grand Challenges.

The multiple roles of media use within the family system during lockdown: A thematic analysis of parental reports from the UK

AbstractChildren's media use increased during the COVID‐19 lockdowns. Here, we present a thematic analysis of online survey responses from 69 parents (of children aged 0–11 years) who described their family media use after the first UK lockdown. Data highlight an increased reliance on media use driven by the challenges of managing time, work, leisure and social connection. Parents reported the additional work of regulating family media use amidst concerns about harmful effects. We draw on an ecological systems approach to discuss how the role of media in family functioning is determined by societal institutions and discourses around parenting and screens.

Disentangling global market drivers for cephalopods to foster transformations towards sustainable seafood systems

Abstract Aquatic food systems are important contributors to global food security to satisfy an intensifying demand for protein‐based diets, but global economic growth threatens marine systems. Cephalopod (octopus, squid and cuttlefish) fisheries can contribute to food security; however, their sustainable exploitation requires understanding connections between nature's contributions to people (NCP), food system policies and human wellbeing. Our global literature review methodology examined what is known about cephalopod food systems, value chains and supply chains, and associated market drivers. For analysis, we followed the IPBES conceptual framework to build a map of the links between cephalopod market drivers, NCP and good quality of life (GQL). Then we mapped cephalopod food system dynamics onto IPBES (in)direct drivers of change relating to catch, trade and consumption. This research contributes knowledge about key factors relating to cephalopods that can support transitions towards increased food security: the value of new aquatic food species; food safety and authenticity systems; place‐based innovations and empowerment of communities; and consumer behaviour, lifestyle and motivations for better health and environmental sustainability along the food value chain. We outline requirements for a sustainable, equitable cephalopod food system policy landscape that values nature's contributions to people, considers UN Sustainable Development Goals and emphasises the role of seven overlapping IPBES (in)direct drivers of change: Economic, Governance, Sociocultural and Socio‐psychological, Technological, Direct Exploitation, Natural Processes and Pollution. We present a novel market‐based adaptation of the IPBES conceptual framework—our ‘cephalopod food system framework’, to represent how the cephalopod food system functions and how it can inform processes to improve sustainability and equity of the cephalopod food system. This synthesised knowledge provides the basis for diagnosing opportunities (e.g. high demand for products) and constraints (e.g. lack of data about how supply chain drivers link to cephalopod NCP) to be considered regarding the role of cephalopods in transformations towards a resilient and more diversified seafood production system. This social–ecological systems approach could apply to other wild harvest commodities with implications for diverse marine species and ecosystems and can inform those working to deliver marine and terrestrial food security while preserving biodiversity. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

AN ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS APPROACH TO ASSESS THE WELL-BEING OF STREET CHILDREN IN ZIMBABWE: IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENTAL SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE

This study reports on an assessment of the well-being of street children in Harare Metropolitan Province in Zimbabwe using the ecological systems approach. This study was underpinned by a quantitative approach which employed a semi-structured questionnaire as an instrument of data collection. Based on survey data of 202 street children who were purposively sampled, the findings revealed that street children lack access to food, education, accommodation, health care and proper sanitation. Therefore, street children require multi-component psychosocial and developmental interventions to enhance their well-being. The recommendations drawn from the findings were submitted to the Department of Social Development in Zimbabwe. Keywords: Child well-being, developmental social work, multiple deprivation, street children, poverty, Harare Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe

FACTORS IMPACTING EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AMONG COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Natural and manmade emergencies have become more frequent over the past 20 years and will continue to pose serious risks to public health and safety. Older adults are more adversely affected by—and less prepared for—emergencies than younger adults. However, little is known about the risk factors impeding emergency preparedness among older adults. This study uses the ecological systems approach to explore factors associated with emergency preparedness and how those factors influence adults 60 and older. The study analyzed cross-sectional data taken from 690 community-dwelling older adults who participated in Wave 5 of the National Poll on Healthy Aging. The sample was broken down into the following two groups for comparison: individuals aged 60–69 (n = 383) and individuals 70 or above (n = 307). The self-reported measures of sociodemographic characteristics, physical health, mental health, and previous experience of a disaster were utilized via regression analysis to predict emergency preparedness. Emergency preparedness was assessed using X dichotomous questions (60-69: M = X; 70+: M = X). The results revealed that living alone and having a Hispanic background were negatively associated with emergency preparedness among those aged 60–69, while mental health status was positively associated with emergency preparedness among those aged 70+. Previous experience of a disaster positively impacted emergency preparedness among the sample. Implications for policy and practice focus on shifting the perspective of the disproportional risks for older adults around emergencies to one that values and supports older adults’ strengths and insights.

Case study: Observing the World Music School Helsinki as a social ecological system to enhance community connectivity and resilience

AbstractThe World Music School community is a Non‐Government Organisation (NGO) that teaches music and organises events internationally around dance and music activities. This case study investigates community connectivity and resilience development in the World Music School (WMS) Helsinki community of practice and the Shanghai WMS community of interest. Using a social ecological system approach, the community structures and relationships were explored and supported by the literature. In particular, the research focused on the feedback loops at different levels within each community structure. The WMS core activities are viewed as inclusive and human connectivity enhancers. Focusing on human connectivity, the research investigated the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of the NGO's involvement in building its community structure as it revealed what is essential for community resilience. This research discusses how connections between shocks and disturbances within the community systems were identified and the various outcomes when identifying and approaching acute weakness within the community structures. This case study examines how the WMS communities enhance community resilience across a complex social system starting at the individual level and then extending to physically close environmental relationships. These complex community structures provided a lens to focus on identifying the initial stages for resilient community connectivity. Observing these connections provided a basis for developing a synthesised model based on discussions in previous literature reviews. The processes involved with the model development included the critical roles, impacts and evolution of the World Music School community. This article argues that systemic change can happen when small but fundamental changes are longitudinally obtained through bottom‐up approaches. The WMS communities have displayed the potential to make a difference towards connectivity and subsequent community resilience, beginning with the individual and extending to the overall social ecological system level.

The dialectics of capital: learning from Gran Chaco

The critical impact of humans on the biosphere has led scientists to coin the term Anthropocene. The global environmental changes associated with it are happening under the aegis of capitalism. A transition towards sustainability requires a critical scrutiny of capitalism. The social–ecological system (SES) approach conceptualises the relationship between the socio-economic subsystem and the biosphere. However, in its various operationalisations it either treats the former as a black box or it fails to capture dynamic aspects. We address these limits and develop a Dialectical Socio-Ecological System (D-SES) framework, which combines process ecology with historical materialism, to describe the emergence and persistence of capitalist dynamics. We draw on data collected through fieldwork and desk research and deploy our framework to study capital-intensive agriculture in the Chaco Salteño, an important agricultural frontier in South America, obtaining some general insights. We open up the socio-economic subsystem and break it down into a lower-level material/economic sphere and an upper-level cultural/institutional sphere. Capitalist dynamics emerge out of the peculiar relationships occurring both within and between these spheres. This configuration shows the typical signs of autocatalysis. It attracts resources and capital to expand itself (centripetality). It becomes more complex and organised over time, fine-tuning production modes, cultures, and institutions (directionality). It is subject to the laws of competition and profit maximisation, which emerge independently from the individual actors and processes making up the system (autonomy). Finally, it engenders frictions, reflecting class antagonism between the direct producers and the appropriators of wealth. These frictions can become leverage points for a system’s transformation.

SDG’s and systems science: teaching beyond the micro-macro divide in social work education

ABSTRACT The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) enlist a triple-bottom-line approach of environment, social, and economic wellbeing that mirrors social work’s environmental, social, and economic justice commitments. Additionally, the networked systems design of the SDGs resonates with the ecological systems approach central to social work practice. Systems science is vital for addressing the SDGs, and systems dynamics has been used to model the interactions between them. However, to date, social work education has used systems frameworks largely as a sensitizing tool rather than an operational one. This paper advocates for using systems science to teach SDGs in social work education, and provides an example of how to accomplish this in the classroom. Accessible texts on systems dynamics support the practical implementation of these tools in social work classrooms. This paper extends that work by outlining a classroom activity that incorporates the networked structures of the SDG’s and introductory systems dynamics concepts. This activity can be implemented in service of re-examining the micro and macro practice gap in social work education, and to prepare the next generation of social workers to engage with the SDGs.