Introducing a complex communication paradigm through a system self-analysis

Abstract

This activity helps students conceptualize and apply systems theory principles to a family communication context by having them create personal whole systems using paper, string, index cards, and the floor. In completing this exercise, students see how their subsystems interact and emerge as something greater than the sum of their parts. They also grasp how environmental factors and feedback loops influence change and impact growth. Finally, this exercise helps students identify the complexities and interconnections of individual and family units. Courses Family Communication. Objectives At the end of this exercise, students will be able to: (1) describe whole systems, subsystems, environmental factors, and feedback loops; (2) show how multiple subsystems interact and emerge as something greater than the sum of their parts; and (3) see how inputs transform into outputs that contribute to a system’s evolution.