ABSTRACT
The word system is in common use with a range of meanings. Having mentioned this, others will probably come to mind, such as solar system, legal system, transport system, nervous system and weather system. There are dozens like these, including ecosystem. In a reaction to the problems reductionist thinking causes, the twentieth century saw a growing focus on not only thinking about systems, but also of thinking in systems terms. This is an approach to problem-solving that attempts to balance wholes and parts. This is systems thinking, and is also described as holistic, relational or ecological thinking. This systems thinking is quite different than thinking about systems, but some people find it straightforward. Systems thinking are increasingly being used to tackle a wide variety of fields such as computing, engineering, epidemiology, information science, health, manufacture, management, development and the environment.
