Whole System Perspective Definition

The term “whole system perspective” is used in a variety of ways, but it generally refers to considering the interconnections between different parts of a system. In other words, it is a way of looking at a system as a whole rather than as a collection of independent parts.

A whole system perspective can be applied to any type of system, whether it is physical, biological, social, or economic. For example, when considering the problem of climate change, a whole system perspective would take into account the interactions between the atmosphere, the oceans, and the land surface. It would also consider the feedback loops between these different components.

In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on taking a whole system perspective in policymaking. This is because many problems are too complex to be addressed by looking at only one part of the system. For example, environmental problems such as climate change cannot be solved by simply reducing emissions from factories; instead, all sectors of society need to be considered in order to find sustainable solutions.

The challenge in taking a whole system perspective is that systems are often too large and complex to be grasped in their entirety. Therefore, it is often necessary to simplify systems in order to make them more manageable. However, this simplification can lead to oversimplification and a loss of important details.