How Small Social Systems Work

Author : Yair Neuman
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 185 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2021-08-24
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783030822385

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How Small Social Systems Work by Yair Neuman Pdf

Most of us are intuitively familiar with small social systems, such as families and soccer teams. Surprisingly, though, most of us are unaware of how complex these systems are or of the fact that they have a unique character distinguishing them from both populations and individuals. The current manuscript, which emerged from high-level scientific publications on the subject, aims to bridge this gap in our understanding of small social systems. The book aims to explain, illustrate, and model the unique and fascinating nature of small (social) systems by relying on deep scientific foundations and by using examples from sport, movies, music, and the martial arts. To support its friendly exposition of challenging scientific ideas, the book also discusses entertaining questions such as (1) why inviting your mother-in-law to dinner might be a challenging event, for reasons you have never considered; (2) why soccer teams should be messy in order to win; (3) why Nazis are deeply wrong in their understanding of the importance of entropy; and (4) why “panda fighters” failed in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). "How Small Systems Work is a welcome book, which sheds light on a branch of mathematics overlooked by scholars: how networks store information. Focusing on small systems, the book asks fundamental questions, providing the tools (and the examples) for answering them –with fun. Neuman analyses, with plenty of humor, the dynamics of a family of cats, the pleasure of listening to jazz, and the science behind football championships, while uncovering hidden gems in the history of cinema” Dr. Mario Alemi, author of “The Amazing Journey of Reason: from DNA to Artificial Intelligence”

Author : Talcott Parsons
Publisher : Hassell Street Press
Page : 606 pages
File Size : 41,7 Mb
Release : 1951
Category : Social Science
ISBN : STANFORD:36105037349706

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The Social System by Talcott Parsons Pdf

Regarded as one of the most influential works in the field of sociology, this book provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the social world. The author dissects the complex interplay between social structures, cultural patterns, and individual behavior, and presents a nuanced view of society as a constantly evolving system. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Author : John M. Herrick,Paul H. Stuart
Publisher : SAGE Publications
Page : 561 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2004-12-15
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781452265438

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Encyclopedia of Social Welfare History in North America by John M. Herrick,Paul H. Stuart Pdf

The Encyclopedia of Social Welfare History in North America is a unique reference work that provides readers with basic information about the history of social welfare in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The intent of the encyclopedia is to provide readers with information about how these three nations have dealt with social welfare issues, some similar across borders, others unique, as well as to describe important events, developments, and the lives and work of some key contributors to social welfare developments. In choosing a continental focus, editors John M. Herrick and Paul H. Stuart encourage readers to explore cross-national and comparative work in the development of social welfare history. The Encyclopedia defines social welfare broadly to include education, informal mutual assistance, the development of the social work profession, and voluntary charitable activities as well as state supported public welfare activities. The coverage is therefore broad and interdisciplinary, including the fields of anthropology, health sciences, history, political science, social work, and sociology. Editors include specialists in the social welfare history of each nation, and they have collaborated with scholars from a variety of academic disciplines to prepare entries of varying length addressing these issues. Associate editors for Canada and Mexico, both authorities in the history of social welfare in those countries, were responsible for recruiting expert contributors in their fields. No other reference work takes this unique continental approach, and as such this will be a much needed acquisition for any academic or large public library with a social science collection. Beginning students as well as established scholars will find this an invaluable starting point for investigations into new areas of inquiry. Topics Covered • Canada • Charity • Child welfare • Economic conditions and social welfare • Economics/tax policy • Health/Mental Health Policy • Landmark social welfare legislation • Mexico • Poverty • Race and Social Inequality • Social Problems • Social Security and Income Maintenance • Social Welfare Reform • Social Welfare Reformers • Social Work • United States • Women and social welfare Associate Editors John Graham, University of Calgary Enrique Ochoa, California State University, Los Angeles Ruth Britton, University of Southern California Editorial Assistants Russell Bennett and Benson Chisanga, University of Alabama

Author : Gary S. Metcalf
Publisher : Springer
Page : 245 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2014-07-08
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9784431544784

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Social Systems and Design by Gary S. Metcalf Pdf

We live in the worlds that we help to create every day. Every activity either supports an existing system or effects some change, however small. But is it possible to consciously create the worlds in which we want to live? This volume brings together systems theorists and practitioners who have worked on that question for decades. It explores connections between design and systems ideas to explain why some efforts have been more successful than others, and what is needed if we are to move forward. It offers reflections on early and large-scale attempts at impacting societal systems, as well as proposals for taking those ideas into the future. Examples date back to the Club of Rome in the 1960s and look forward to the creation of ecologically sustainable systems in the future. They address the need for collaboration and inclusion in settings from communities to corporations. And while theories are presented as support for the examples, they are explained in practical ways meant to be accessible both to students and to general readers.

Author : Christoph E. Mandl
Publisher : Springer
Page : 221 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2019-02-21
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9783030016456

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Managing Complexity in Social Systems by Christoph E. Mandl Pdf

Why do policies and strategies often fail, and what can be done about it? How can complexity be managed in cases where it cannot be reduced? The answers to these questions are anything but trivial, and can only be found by combining insights from complexity science, system dynamics, system theory and systems thinking. Rooted in the seminal works of Gregory Bateson, Jay Forrester, Donella Meadows, Peter Senge, W. Brian Arthur, John Sterman and Thomas Schelling, this book bridges the gap between rigorous science and real-life experience to explore the potential and limitations of leverage points in implementing policies and strategies. It also presents diagnostic tools to help recognize system archetypes, as well as the powerful language of stock and flow diagrams, which allows us to think in terms of circular causality. These tools are subsequently employed to thoroughly analyze particularly thorny problems such as global climate change, the tragedy of the commons, path dependence, diffusion of innovations, and exponential growth of inequality.

Author : Arthur Shapiro
Publisher : R&L Education
Page : 210 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2009-10-16
Category : Education
ISBN : 9781607091172

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Making Large Schools Work by Arthur Shapiro Pdf

American schools are undergoing huge changes, among the most significant of which is that their size is increasing rapidly. This book lays out very practical approaches to making our ever-increasingly large schools work more effectively. By closely analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of large schools, the author can provide effective tools and strategies for dealing with them. Shapiro digs away at the foreseen and unforeseen consequences of this rapid escalation of size, and presents practical, tried-and-true strategies for undoing some of the more unfortunate results of this social trend or drift.

Author : Christine Morley,Phillip Ablett,Selma Macfarlane
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 435 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2019-01-17
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781108452816

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Engaging with Social Work by Christine Morley,Phillip Ablett,Selma Macfarlane Pdf

Equips students with a critical perspective and develops their understanding of social work practice.

Author : Viviene E. Cree,Trish McCulloch
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 283 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2023-04-04
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781000858822

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Social Work by Viviene E. Cree,Trish McCulloch Pdf

Building on the successful 1st edition, this reader brings together some of the most significant ideas that have informed social work practice over the last fifty years. At the same time as presenting these foundational extracts, the book includes commentaries that allow the reader to understand the selected extracts on their own terms as well as to be aware of their relations to each other and to the wider social work context. There is no settled view or easy consensus about what social work is and should be, and the ideas reflected in this volume are themselves diverse and complex. The world of social work has changed greatly over the last ten years, and this new edition reflects that change with new material on the decolonisation of social work knowledges, the greater emphasis on inter-disciplinarity and co-production and the new concern for identities. With an accessible introduction to contextualise the selections, the book is divided into three main sections, each presenting key texts drawn from a wide range of perspectives: psychological, sociological, philosophical, educational and political, as well as perspectives that are grounded in the experiences of practitioners and those who use services, which have contributed to the development of: the profession of social work knowledge and values for social work and practice in social work. By providing students and practitioners with an easy way into reading first-hand some of the most interesting, foundational texts of the subject, it will be required reading for all undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and professionals undertaking post-qualifying training.

Author : Robert L. Dipboye
Publisher : Emerald Group Publishing
Page : 923 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2018-09-07
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781787437869

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The Emerald Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology by Robert L. Dipboye Pdf

This book provides a comprehensive review of the theory, research, and applications in Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology. Analyzing three primary objectives of I/O psychology: improving the effectiveness of employees and organizations, enhancing employee well-being, and gaining an understanding of human behavior in organizations.

Author : Jerrold R. Brandell
Publisher : SAGE
Page : 881 pages
File Size : 44,7 Mb
Release : 2010-02-16
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781412981385

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Theory & Practice in Clinical Social Work by Jerrold R. Brandell Pdf

Today's clinical social workers face a spectrum of social issues and problems of a scope and severity hardly imagined just a few years ago and an ever-widening domain of responsibility to overcome them. Theory and Practice in Clinical Social Work is the authoritative handbook for social work clinicians and graduate social work students, that keeps pace with rapid social changes and presents carefully devised methods, models, and techniques for responding to the needs of an increasingly diverse clientele. Following an overview of the principal frameworks for clinical practice, including systems theory, behavioral and cognitive theories, psychoanalytic theory, and neurobiological theory, the book goes on to present the major social crises, problems, and new populations the social work clinician confronts each day. Theory and Practice in Clinical Social Work includes 29 original chapters, many with carefully crafted and detailed clinical illustrations, by leading social work scholars and master clinicians who represent the widest variety of clinical orientations and specializations. Collectively, these leading authors have treated nearly every conceivable clinical population, in virtually every practice context, using a full array of treatment approaches and modalities. Included in this volume are chapters on practice with adults and children, clinical social work with adolescents, family therapy, and children's treatment groups; other chapters focus on social work with communities affected by disasters and terrorism, clinical case management, cross-cultural clinical practice, psychopharmacology, practice with older adults, and mourning and loss. The extraordinary breadth of coverage will make this book an essential source of information for students in advanced practice courses and practicing social workers alike.

Author : Francesco Saverio Nitti
Publisher : London : S. Sonnenschein ; New York : C. Scribner's Sons
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 1894
Category : Malthusianism
ISBN : UOM:39015065545140

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Population and the Social System by Francesco Saverio Nitti Pdf

Author : Francis J. Turner
Publisher : Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press
Page : 468 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2009-07-23
Category : Reference
ISBN : 9781554588077

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Encyclopedia of Canadian Social Work by Francis J. Turner Pdf

All of us, as Canadians, are touched throughout our lives by some aspect of social welfare, either as recipients, donors, or taxpayers. But despite the importance of the social network in our country, there has been no single source of information about this critical component of our society. Even professionals in the field of social work or social services have not had a comprehensive volume addressing the myriad features of this critical societal structure. The Encyclopedia of Canadian Social Work fills this need. Over five hundred topics important to Canadian social work are covered, written by a highly diverse group of social workers covering all aspects of the field and all areas of the country. Practitioners, policy makers, academics, social advocates, researchers, students, and administrators present a rich overview of the complexity and diversity of social work and social welfare as it exists in Canada. The principal finding from this project underscores the long-held perception that there is a Canadian model of social work that is unique and stands as a useful model to other countries. The Encyclopedia of Canadian Social Work will be an important source of information, both to Canadians and to interested groups around the world. The Encyclopedia of Canadian Social Work is available in e-book version by subscription or from university and college libraries through the following vendors: Canadian Electronic Library, Ebrary, MyiLibrary, and Netlibrary.

Author : C. Green,R. Meagher,T. Millon
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 618 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2012-12-06
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9781461334125

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Handbook of Clinical Health Psychology by C. Green,R. Meagher,T. Millon Pdf

We seek to throw down the gauntlet with this handbook, challenging the he gemony of the "behavioral medicine" approach to the psychological study and treatment of the physically ill. This volume is not another in that growing surfeit oftexts that pledge allegiance to the doctrinaire purity of behavioristic thinking, or conceptualize their subject in accord with the sterility of medical models. Diseases are not our focus, nor is the narrow band of behavioral assessment and therapy methodologies. Rather, we have sought to redefine this amorphous, yet burgeoning field so as to place it squarely within the province of a broadly-based psychology-specifically, the emerging, substantive discipline of health psy chology and the well-established professionalism and diverse technologies of clinical psychology. The handbook's title-Clinical Health Psychology-reflects this reorientation explicitly, and Chapter 1 addresses its themes and provides its justifications more fully. In the process of developing a relevant and comprehensive health assess ment tool, the editors were struck by the failure of clinical psychologists to avail themselves of the rich vein of materials that comprise the psychosocial world of the physically ill. Perhaps more dismaying was the observation that this field was being mined-less than optimally-by physicians and nonclinical psychologists.

Author : Cynthia Rayner,François Bonnici
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 293 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2021-10-12
Category : Social change
ISBN : 9780198857457

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The Systems Work of Social Change by Cynthia Rayner,François Bonnici Pdf

The issues of poverty, inequality, racial injustice, and climate change have never been more pressing or paralyzing. Current approaches to social change, which rely on linear thinking and traditional power dynamics to 'solve' social problems, are not helping. In fact, they may only beentrenching the status quo.Systemic social challenges produce bewildering results when we try to solve them due to their complexity, scale, and depth. While strategies to tackle complexity and scale have received significant attention and investment, challenges that arise from deeply-held beliefs, values, and assumptions thatno longer serve us well have been largely overlooked. This book draws on stories of committed social changemakers to uncover a set of principles and practices for social change that dramatically depart from the industrial approach. Rather than delivering solutions or being lured by grander visionsof 'systems change', these principles and practices focus on the process of change itself. Simple yet profound, these stories distil a timely set of lessons for leaders, scholars, and policymakers on how connection, context, and power sit at the heart of the change process, ensuring broader agencyfor people and communities while building social systems that are responsive in a rapidly-changing world.

Author : Bloomsbury Publishing
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 184 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 1996-03-30
Category : Education
ISBN : 9780313389382

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Social Work Practice by Bloomsbury Publishing Pdf

Pardeck demonstrates that the ecological approach to social work practice stresses effective intervention, and that effective intervention occurs through not only working with individuals, but also with the familial, social, and cultural factors that impact their social functioning. The power of the ecological approach, through focusing on multiple factors for assessment and intervention, is that it integrates empirically based theories from various fields including social work, psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Pardeck provides an orientation to the role of social work practitioners within the human services. He differentiates the unique contributions of social work and explains them in terms of the needs and goals of an ecological approach to practice. An ecological approach to practice stresses that effective social work intervention occurs through not only working with individuals, but also with the familial, social, and cultural factors that impact their social functioning. The power of the ecological approach, through focusing on multiple factors for assessment and intervention, is that it integrates empirically based theories from various fields including social work, psychology, and anthropology. The book represents an effort to define the goals, commitments, and approaches that have emerged out of the history of social work and to relate them to similar concepts and values that are central to an ecological approach to practice. Three pervasive and unifying themes run through the book. One is the constant commitment to goals of facilitating human development. Pardeck suggests this is a central ethic that defines and distinguishes an ecological approach to social work practice. The second theme is an affirmation of the basic utility of a systems approach in conceptualizing and intervening in human needs, concerns, and problems. The ecological perspective views human beings as social organisms engaged in patterns of relationships that nurture or inhibit this basic humanity. The third theme is an interactionist view of the importance of person-environment fit as a central dynamic in human functioning. The traditional intra-psychic aspects of human behavior have tended to obscure the immense importance of both nurturing and potentially damaging forces at work in the social environment. This volume will be of considerable interest to social work educators and practitioners as well as their research libraries.