#biologicalsystems

BLOG #2

The Biological Systems Perspective to Understanding the Self

Our professor in theology once told us that our neighbor or the other people around us are all mysteries like us. Thus, saying that if a person wants to discover a bit of mystery within themselves, they could do it by getting to know more about their neighbor. In application to this lesson, learning more about the self means learning about the people around one’s self and the environment around one’s self. A person may have his or her own interpretation about their own personal traits and characteristics, but different aspects may affect the way one functions and moves about in their day-to-day life.

A person could be understood by the environment where one moves in, for each element is interdependent and reciprocally related to each other. Furthermore, it is a dynamic process when a certain system interacts with the self therefore shaping the way a person would act around that certain circumstance. Each person also has their own complex web of subsystems which they simultaneously work around on and perform their functions as well. There are proximal processes which lead people to perform better or worse depending on the circumstance that they’re in. It is a progressively more complex reciprocal interaction between an active human and the people, objects and symbols around them.

Each person has a certain stimulus that changes their way of thinking and acting around other people. There are three components called the Demand, Resource, and the Force. The Demand are the physical and immediate attributes that we personally see unto others. On the other hand, Resource is the mental, emotional, social and material affordances and opportunities that another person possesses that we know of. Lastly, the Force is the differences in temperament, motivation, drive and persistence that one has to offer the other, All of this, help give out a first impression towards other people thus influence the way we interact with other people.

In terms of context, there are the different levels of systems which are interrelated and often have different roles in the life of individuals (e.g. microsystem, mesosystem. exosystem, & macrosystem). Everything starts with a Microsystem where the initial interaction happens between immediate people in the life of the person. This is where the different roles and settings of people are showcased and/or introduced. Next is the Mesosystem where there is an interrelation between the microsystems that a person has. It does not directly include the person but affects them in a way where both microsystems come into one circumstance (ex. Parent-Teacher). Third comes the Exosystem where there are no direct involvement coming from the person such as the: school administration, government and the church. All the exosystem are moving and continuing their processes even though the person is not participating in such system. Lastly, the Macrosystem is the overall blueprint for society where a person moves about.