This image captures an important component of defining boundaries: the value of consciously choosing our conceptual frames or paradigms when approaching complex issues. This metaphor is inspired by the “Frames” exercise, described by Linda Booth Sweeney and Dennis Meadows in The Systems Thinking Playbook.
In our daily lives, we constantly use conceptual frames (often unconsciously) to filter the vast amount of information around us, deciding what to ignore and what to deem important. These frames direct our attention to specific forms of geographical and temporal data, predispose us to certain theories of causality, and focus us on established kinds of problems and policies. Just like the telescope in the image, our chosen frame dictates whether we see the detail of a cluster of berries or the bigger picture of a forest landscape.
Imagine hiking through the woods and noticing that clusters of berries on some of the trees are rotting. On closer inspection you zoom in and observe a black fungus on the trees with rotting berries. You conclude there is a localized fungus blight that might be addressed by preventing its spread to the surrounding trees. You might not recognize the connection between this fungus and regional weather patterns.
But if you were a forester zooming out on the forest as a whole, you would probably collect data on region-wide berry production, since it reflects forest and animal health. You might also collect long-term climate data about seasonal trends in temperature. That data might lead you to conclude that shifting temperature patterns are altering growing seasons for the berries, explaining why the berries are already rotting. You might not recognize that a localized fungus is contributing to the loss of berries.
Whether you are a forester or not, if you move between being zoomed in and zoomed out then you might see a connection between climate change and the spread of fungus in the forest because of the different, but related data you get from each perspective.
The Frames exercise described in the Playbook uses a piece of paper with a 1-to-2-inch diameter hole in it that allows you to physically zoom in and zoom out on your immediate environment by looking through the hole and moving the paper toward or away from your face. A facilitator can also pose questions like, “What can you see and what data can you collect at each level of magnification?”
Deeper Dive
- Booth Sweeney L and D Meadows. The Systems Thinking Playbook: Exercises to Stretch and Build Learning and Systems Thinking Capabilities, Chelsea Green Publishing, 1995.
Related Frameworks
- Define Boundaries: additional reasons for being conscious of your boundary conditions