Systems and Ecological Models

Abstract

Systems theory has had a major impact on social work since the 1970s and has been a subject of controversy for almost as long. It is conventional to distinguish two forms of systems theory in social work:general systems theoryecological systems theory.There are also attempts to distinguish a third and separate stream of social systems theory based on Parsons’ sociological analysis of systems in society (de Hoyos and Jensen, 1985).