We live in a
time of rapid, often unsettling change, which causes much feelings of
confusion, and anxiety among many of us. There is a myriad of
underlying reasons for this - many from real challenges arising from structures
of society that is ill-prepared to address the needs of humanity: poverty,
pandemic, inadequate access to resources, etc. But at lot too are driven
by our behaviours which stem from our anxieties and insecurities which, in
turn, emanates from how we perceive the world around us.
Worldviews play a crucial
role in forming our underlying assumptions, which are the foundational beliefs
and understandings we hold about ourselves, others, and the nature of reality.
These assumptions are often deeply ingrained and operate at a subconscious
level, guiding our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. Our
worldviews are the lenses through which we interpret and make sense of the
world around us. They are shaped by various factors, such as our upbringing,
culture, education, and personal experiences. These worldviews consist of
beliefs, values, and attitudes that influence our perceptions, judgments, and
decisions.
For example, someone with a
worldview that emphasises individualism and self-reliance may hold assumptions
such as "success is primarily the result of personal effort," or
"people are responsible for their own circumstances." These
assumptions may lead them to adopt behaviours that prioritise personal
achievement, independence, and competition.
On the other hand, someone
with a worldview that emphasises collectivism and social interconnectedness may
hold assumptions such as "people's well-being is interconnected, and we
have a responsibility to support one another," or "society should prioritise
the needs of the community over individual desires." These assumptions may
lead them to adopt behaviours that prioritise cooperation, collaboration, and
community engagement.
Importantly, our worldviews
and underlying assumptions are not fixed or universally shared. They can evolve
and change over time, influenced by new information, experiences, and
perspectives. Engaging in critical thinking, reflecting on our beliefs, and
being open to diverse viewpoints can help us challenge and broaden our worldviews,
leading to more informed and inclusive behaviours.
Many would
be familiar with the contemporary theory held by academicians and corporate
thinkers that to solve complex problems such as the ones confronting humanity
today, we need to apply systems thinking. That as everything
is interconnected in a biological sciences way, so a holistic way will be
necessary to investigate factors and interactions to contribute to a possible
outcome. They explain there are six conditions that need to be
addressed together to effectively make systems change.
The six conditions of systems change: the three structural change components listed at the top are explicit, like the visible part of an iceberg, two relational change components which are semi-explicit, whereas the transformative change listed at the bottom is implicit, like the iceberg below the water line. For more information, check out The Water of Systems Change by John Kania, Mark Kramer, and Peter Senge
Bearing this theory in
mind, it is interesting to note that when companies or governments want to bring about
change, their efforts are often focused on addressing structural changes by
setting out new policies and practices and channeling resource
flows. What is often not sufficiently dealt with is the
relationships and connections, and the power dynamics between the people
involved, which need to also alter to advance equity, a key element for more sustained change. Fascinatingly, what is essential
for enduring transformative change often gets the least attention - shifts of
mental models or worldviews.
Applying the systems thinking theory, changes are more likely to be sustained when working at three different levels of change: explicit - the policies, the practices, the resource flows; semi-explicit - the relationships and connections, and the power dynamics; and implicit - the mental models for transformative change.
On the point
about mental models or worldviews, no one will disagree that education can be an effective
means to bring about transformative change. Education that provides
opportunities to engage in critical thinking, reflect on our beliefs, and
explore diverse viewpoints. Education that helps us learn to
understand the underlying reasons and the historical processes that have
brought our society to this point, as well as understand our underlying assumptions
that have been driving our individual and collective behaviour. Education that
explores the fundamental questions of human condition, the patterns of
relationships that bind us together. Education that can help us
re-think our worldviews and beliefs dispassionately based on evidence.
Going back to basics, perhaps
our academic education system – from primary to tertiary - should be
re-examined to incorporate a curriculum
that is more holistic, one which also builds capacity in our children beyond the focus on technical
skills. Consider if our education curricular is broadened to
also include development of capacity to analyse social conditions and discover
the forces that have caused them, and the ability to express ideas? And
one which shapes our children to be determined yet humble participants who
contribute to the establishment of a spirit of unity and
collaboration? This could be achieved through a curricular that
facilitate appreciation of our rich history as well as the unifying
forces that contribute to advancement of civilisation rather than focusing on
differing ideologies as well as on the wars and events that divide
humanity. Education which instils a sense of justice and
civic-mindedness, and which provides the conditions to embrace the
diversity of religion, culture, race, class, and ethnicity through inter-faith
and inter-ethnic studies. Education that helps us understand
our interconnectedness and which encourages us to strive for the
betterment of all.
Adults too could also partake
in this movement of change by engaging in meaningful conversations in informal grassroot settings. Conversations which
elevate our understanding of what is happening around us, the reasons why these
occurrences happen and how everything is
inter connected. Conversations that explore
concepts and analyse processes that give shape to our search for prosperity,
and to examine our beliefs, attitudes, habits, relationships, and
actions which cause these occurrences to happen.
When we understand
what is needed for our collective prosperity, we could systematically channel
this awareness > understanding > appreciation into tangible patterns of
attitudes and behaviours,
including our language, and apply them
in our daily lives. Over time, our social existence, as well as our inner
lives, might become increasingly and visibly transformed. With the interconnectedness of individuals,
communities, and systems within our society, these shifts at the level of
individuals could cause even a ripple effect of change throughout our ecosystem
and could contribute to bring about the change we want.