In public health, we are up against any number of “wicked problems” – challenges so complicated and entrenched and sometimes, so polarizing – that they seem almost impossible to solve. Exactly the kinds of problems that systems thinking was designed to address. In this introduction to one of the fundamental approaches we use at Health Comm Central, we’ll talk about how systems thinking moves beyond a mere big picture perspective to apply specialized processes and tools for addressing wicked problems – and how systems thinking can really be a practice and a mindset for every part of life.
Resources:
Waters Center for Systems Thinking: https://waterscenterst.org/
Systems Thinking for Social Change, by David Peter Stroh https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26089423-systems-thinking-for-social-change
Samples of three systems maps on obesity (from across the internet)

• https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Community-causal-loop-diagram-of-causes-of-obesity-PA-physical-activity_fig1_351361519
• https://www.vanderbilt.edu/cultural-contexts-health/reframing-childhood-obesity-brief/systems-map/
• https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Obesity-systems-map_fig1_269097364

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© 2022 Karen Hilyard, Ph.D.

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