Systems thinkers borrow the concept of homeostasis from the world of the human body and apply it to systems, which makes for very interesting insights about how systems work.
Steinke describes homeostasis as follows:
“We have internal means that seek the most favorable conditions for survival. To secure the stability of the organism, the body functions as a cooperative community preventing it from being overwhelmed by changing conditions or restoring the necessary balance after conditions change it.” (How Your Church Family Works, pg. 6)
“Relationship systems require stability.” (pg. 8)
This is such a fascinating dynamic because especially within the Christian community there is such as emphasis on “unity.” It seems that within a system there is a force of unity that is ever present and that is the group dynamic towards calmness and stability. That’s not to see that the group is free of volatility or other dynamics, but the system itself works to preserve itself just as the human body seeks to preserve itself from any outside change. As this sense of self-preservation is at work, it should help us understand what is happening within groups when a force presents itself that threatens the dynamics of the group.
Homeostasis seems to have a lot of healthy aspects to it in that it protects against self-destruction and guards against intruders or threats. This is necessary for survival. However, in systems, I think it might be helpful to consider how it can work against the individual and corporate transformation of people and groups by unconsciously (or consciously) rejecting healthy change and threatening truths or realities.
It seems that just because something is stable, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. And conversely, just because there is a “threat” to that stability, it doesn’t mean that it is a threat to the overall good – it’s just a threat to the current system.
