Violations in the structure of objects or processes always cause justified concern. This threatens with complete or partial destruction of objects and distortion of their functions. Therefore, in science and practice, there is a so-called structural approach to establishing strong links between the elements of a created object.
Where does the purchase begin? And not only…
The answer is simple: from the structural analysis of things, which in general proceeds in a certain sequence. Any buyer produces it, not always suspecting it. Evaluating functions include:
- The study of external features: what parts a thing consists of, how they are interconnected, what they are made of, what they are intended for.
- A similar introduction to the internal structure.
- Exploring the functionality of an item.
If the thing meets the requirements of the consumer, then the structural analysis ends with the purchase.
In the same way, acquaintance with a scientific discipline occurs ineducational institution, with the tasks and sequence of actions in mastering the profession … That is, almost everything that a person encounters is subjected to the study and establishment of internal, external features, composition, functions and interaction of its structural parts. The construction of objects again begins with the definition of its construction in accordance with the purpose.
What is structural analysis and why is it needed?
Why does a person strive to know the structure of material and non-material things? That is their structure?
This word comes from the Latin structūra, which means the arrangement of details in an object and their relationship. Each of them has its own private parameters. As a result, the object as a whole has some external and internal indicators (quality, properties, actions) and it can perform certain functions. Thus, a system-structural approach to the study of the subject allows you to plan goals, ways to use it, as well as the duration of operation, the possibility of reconstruction.
Such a practical approach is also valid for manifestations of human self-expression, for example, science, culture, social relations. Despite their “immateriality”, they also consist of interacting elements and have qualitative and quantitative indicators.
Structural analysis is a mandatory initial part of the study, construction, transformation of any object.
Goals of the systematic research method
So, in the spotlight of the prospector,using a structural approach, is, firstly, the structure of the subject of study and, secondly, the place in it of each of the elements. The goals of this study method:
- Establishment and study of the integrity of the subject, its composition, structural parts.
- Studying the integrity of the organization of elements (the actual structure of the object).
- Knowledge of the functions of the entire system and its individual parts (structural-functional analysis).
- Study of the genesis of the object, its relationships with other ordered devices and objects.
The worthy place of the structural approach in the scientific world is ensured by the use of general and particular goals, principles and methods of research.
Methods and steps of the analytical procedure
Analysis of an object can be directed to its individual parts and functions, depending on the aspects of interest to the researcher. Stages of cognition in general:
- formulation of its general goals, particular tasks;
- determination of objects and their constituent components to be analyzed;
- choice of ways, methods of their study, quantitative and qualitative evaluation criteria;
- organization of the procedure (preparation of the site, tools, means of fixing the results);
- conducting research, drawing up its results.
Such an approach to the structural analysis of the studied objects is applied taking into account their specifics. In each individual case, general scientific and special(scientific, mathematical, experimental, etc.) research methods.
Principles for constructing analysis
A rationally built structural approach to the knowledge of various kinds of devices, orders, modes, etc. ensures the reliability of the data obtained about them. The mental or real division of a multicomponent object into components for the study and analysis of its functions and structure is based on certain rules.
The principles of a structured approach can be summarized as follows:
- An object should be divided first into large parts, and then each of them into smaller ones (“from top to bottom”). This makes it easier to determine their purpose and relationships. The “bottom-up” movement makes this difficult, and there may be errors in the conclusions.
- Isolation of essential and non-essential details (abstraction).
- Strict adherence to cognitive methodology (formalization).
- Identification of the causes of conflicting data, their elimination.
- Structuring and logical alignment of analysis results.
Thus, the essence of the structural approach is the theoretical and practical representation of objects as systems.
What is an “organization”
The meaning of this word can be considered in 2 ways:
Association of people who have common ideas, goals, activities, programs. It is characterized by hierarchical links between individual structural units.
The process of managing a certain system, coordinating the actions of its individual components to achieve commonresults, and to provide external communications with other devices.
Organization as management is carried out through the solution of many problems, as well as the coordination of the actions of the people involved in this. In other words, it is a mechanism for building the structure of an institution, an enterprise.
Effective organizing method
Practice shows that rational interaction between levels and areas of management (departments, divisions, sectors, workshops) and control over their functioning ensures the efficiency of the entire enterprise. That is, it is a structural approach to the organization of activities. It is based on the following conditions:
- reality of connections between people and their job responsibilities (content, volume, timing of specific work);
- adequate, law-based methods of managing a team, performers;
- specificity and feasibility of the powers of employees at various levels of management.
Methods of the structural approach are actually used in the organization of large and small associations in various fields of activity - political, economic, industrial, cultural, educational, religious, managerial, etc.
Society as a structured system of assistance to the individual
There are different forms of living together and activities of people that satisfy their various needs - family, labor organizations, formal and informal associations, etc.
Probably no one will argue that a service worker must be well versed in the construction and functions of all social systems in order to be able to correctly build the content and volume of assistance needed by clients. Everyone who needs this or that type of service and support is a member of a specific social group: worker, employee, pensioner, student, unemployed, disabled person, party or trade union functionary, etc.
Socio-structural approach to work with clients will give, for example, a person who has assumed obligations, the opportunity to take into account the peculiarities of working with people belonging to different nationalities, religious denominations, age groups, genders. Taking an active life position, he must not only understand and smooth out the manifestations of inequality between different segments of the population (material, intellectual, social), but also know the mechanisms for distributing resources that specific social groups have. So a social worker can try to organize material and other assistance to a lonely pensioner from the various communities that he belongs to: neighbors, distant relatives, former colleagues.
Analysis of the social situation
Decision-making on a radical intervention in the life of a client by a social worker should be preceded by a detailed analysis of the situation in which he is. Applying a structural approach, he will determine:
- client's needs and the presence (lack) of his own ability to meet them;
- what resources doessocial services for assistance;
- pick up public structures (or individual members of the society) that can be involved in working with the client;
- its forms and types (volunteering, material, moral support);
- rational planning of these cases;
- forms of control, analysis of the implementation of the plan.
A detailed study of the situation in which a person finds himself opens up: firstly, ways to find and stimulate his own forces and resources for self-help. Secondly, the means of consolidating various social structures to support their member who is in a difficult life situation.
