Imagining Unity Through a Systems Thinking Perspective
The word unity conjures up certain images in our mind, of togetherness and community, happy diverse groups of multicultural people smiling and cohesive families etc. And in contrast to that, we also imagine that families, communities and societies can potentially be disunited as a result of some misunderstanding, conflict and contention, disagreement or prejudice.
This understanding of the word Unity frames it in such a way that it can be easily interpreted as a possibility or an option; as in, we have a choice to be united or disunited, or we have the option of working towards becoming united as a society or to remain disunited. It leads us to believe that separateness is a choice we have and unity is an option.
When we use the word unity in a systems thinking framework, however, the word has a slightly different meaning, and this subtle difference has a rather profound impact on our thought process as systems-thinkers and change-makers.
Much like the meaning it carries in a mathematical context which is simply a synonym for the number “one”, Unity in systems thinking actually just means ‘Oneness’ or ‘the whole’. This meaning of unity in systems thinking is more a matter of fact than a potential state of being. This concept of oneness is a foundational principle of any systems thinking analysis and it frames the systems thinking worldview through which we look at organisations, eco-systems, societies and families.
It is this subtle difference in meaning between a potential state of being, or an actual matter of fact, that makes the systems thinking meaning of the word so powerful. You see, in systems thinking, as with ecopsychology, as with ecology, as with certain types of spirituality and most certainly in many Indigenous and First Nations worldviews, unity is not an option or possibility but a fact of reality, and a fundamental principle of life.
What this leads us to is the understanding that conflict, disagreeance, contention or disparity are not necessarily signs of disunity or separateness, but rather phenomena or disturbances which are functioning within a mathematical unity or an inseverable whole. Like a virus in a body or a communication breakdown in an organisation, the communication breakdown does not negate the fact that the organisation is still functioning as an indivisible whole, just like a sick body that is having difficulty finding it’s equilibrium again, does not mean the body is no longer a single indivisible whole.
To help clearly explain this, let us imagine a family or a community, where there are signs of disagreement or conflict, rather than saying this is a disunited entity, a systems thinking understanding would be that this is a sign of dysfunction within a unity. When we acknowledge the inseverable interconnection of systems or eco-systems, societies or families, then we begin to recognise that there can be no disconnection in reality, and there is only dysfunction or disturbance within a whole.
In contrast, if we fail to accept the idea of unity as a matter of fact and instead consider it as an ‘option’ then the dysfunction can be more easily disregarded or left unattended and therefore allowed to continue. When we consider the world’s social, economic and environmental issues through the lens of “unity as a fact” rather than unity as an option, then we can more clearly identify the cause of inequity and injustice.
When applying systems thinking methodologies to address issues of social change we recognise that social justice “issues” are merely outcomes of a system, or fruits of an eco-system so to speak. The issue has no reality of its own other than being the product of a number of conditions within the system which allow it to exist.
The system when creating undesirable outcomes is considered to be a dysfunctional whole, but an indivisible whole nevertheless. In order to address issues as systems thinkers we will look towards the processes, relationships and other functions of interconnectivity between the various ‘components’ or ‘actors’ of the system.
In this sense the ‘system’ which could be a family unit, a localised eco-system, an organisation or a whole society, is never broken down into constituent parts in order to find fault within a single component, but rather recognised as a whole which is having difficulty behaving as a whole; a single body which is malfunctioning, or an ecosystem that is in a state of imbalance, or an organisation with a toxic culture that requires shifting.
In whatever context we apply systems thinking, the word Unity is not used to mean a desirable state of being but rather as a matter of fact, a starting point to begin one’s investigation. And the lack of symbiosis or synergistic relations is therefore perceived as dysfunction or malfunction. The reason why this is a powerful worldview is that it leads us to acknowledge that the undesirable experiences of conflict or injustice or economic disparity or inequality as the dysfunction that they truly are rather than ‘just the way things are’.
From this view, unity is seen as the undeniable reality of life and with that foundational understanding, not only can we identify the cause of dysfunction, but more importantly, we are able to imagine and implement more holistic, comprehensive and effective solutions. When we get used to seeing the world through this lens we become more and more aware of the ways in which the fate of human beings is interconnected, the ways in which the health of our eco-systems and our own health is connected, or the health of our soil and the health of our children, or the impoverishment of the earth and the impoverishment of our lives.
When we hold the oneness of humanity and the oneness of the planet as a core and unquestionable verity, then our perspectives on socio-economic and environmental issues are profoundly impacted and our aversion to adversarialism is strengthened. The false premise that individuals, communities and societies can flourish as separate entities from the whole, can finally be put to rest, and we will more readily champion the idea that sustainability, equity, justice and prosperity all require the acknowledgement of our undeniable unity, first and foremost.
It is time to shift the way we speak about unity from a heartfelt desire, a deep longing or long-term goal, and instead speak of it as what it is, an questionable fact of our reality. When we start functioning and thinking and making decisions from that perspective and rooted in that fundamental truth, then we begin to solve the social, economic and ecological problems our society is so heavily burdened with.
Eventually as we investigate, think and discuss a broad range of socio-economic issues for long enough, we begin to realise that recognising and affirming our inextricable interconnection, is central to resolving so much of our world’s injustice and dysfunction, and a highly effective lens to have on when working in any area of social, environmental and economic justice.
About the Author
Erfan Daliri is an author, poet, social change trainer and consultant with a Masters in Communication for Social Change. He has over 15 years of experience working with NGOs, community groups and government agencies in a diverse range of areas, including participatory development, cross-cultural communication, youth empowerment, education, mental health, settlement services, and social justice advocacy.
Erfan is the founding director of Newkind Social Justice Conference and programme coordinator of the National Unity in Diversity Conference. He consults and advises on communication and project design for organisations such as Amnesty International and the Australian Red Cross.
He is particularly passionate about empowering organisations and communities to address issues of social, environmental and economic justice and to help them build a more inclusive, cohesive, sustainable and equitable society. His most recent book Raising Humanity discusses the underlying causes of socio-economic injustice and covers the themes of ecology and economy, resilience, resistance and what it takes to be an effective changemaker.