Identifying Archetypes

Overview: Your textbook defines archetypes as “system structures that produce . . . common patterns of problematic behavior.” The reading for this module

discusses eight such patterns. For example, a baseball team that has just won the World Series attracts very good players the following year, which may translate

into more success for that team in the future. This is an example of the archetype defined as “success to the successful.”

Prompt: After studying archetypes in the assigned textbook reading for this module, give examples of at least two archetypes found in each of the following

categories: academics, professional sports, politics, society, and business. Identify the archetype and explain how the archetype is present in the situation.

Be sure your examples are original. In other words, do not present examples found in the textbook or elsewhere. Be sure to provide at least one example of each

of the eight archetypes discussed in the reading for this module.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

 Identify at least two archetypes found in each of the following categories. Make sure to cover all archetypes mentioned in the reading for this module.

○ Academics

○ Professional sports

○ Politics

○ Society

○ Business

● Explain how the archetype is present in the situation.

Rubric

Guidelines for Submission: Your paper should be submitted as a 2 page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font,

one-inch margins, and all sources cited in APA format.

System Archetypes

Now that we have a good idea of the characteristics and behaviors of systems in general, let us move on to look specifically at the patterns systems exhibit. One of the underlying insights of general systems theory and systems thinking is that many different kinds of systems can exhibit similar patterns of behavior. For example, we might see the same pattern of behavior in a colony of ants as we do in a military unit. By recognizing these patterns, called archetypes, we can more quickly understand how a system may be functioning and also recognize how to intervene or improve it. They key to solving problems using systems thinking is to understand the system that is producing the problem before trying to change anything or solve the problem. Recognizing archetypes is an important tool to do this.

Meadows (2008) refers to these archetypes as traps and opportunities. You may be surprised at the insights you will get in both everyday and large-scale problems just by considering how these archetypes apply to a situation. With each archetype, Meadows also offers some general ideas on how the trap can be avoided and how a system with the given pattern of behavior might be altered. These archetypes provide a good start for designing effective interventions to solve problems.

References

Meadows, D. (2008). Thinking in systems: A primer. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Company.

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