Social problems are becoming increasingly complex. Policymakers, thus, cannot solve these issues with a single policy instrument. For example, while decades of research have examined the individual factors that influence financial stress, less is known about how organisations, social structures, policies, social norms, and large-scale events interact to affect one’s financial wellbeing. Using a systems approach as the basis of our conceptualisation, we put forward a theoretical model to help policymakers and practitioners to address the root causes of such complex issues. We argue that extant literature does not adequately conceptualise the complex relationships between the micro, meso, and macro-level drivers of financial wellbeing. As a result, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners are under-resourced when it comes to designing interventions to improve individuals’ financial situations. We use the examples of affordable housing and social security policy to highlight the utility of a systems approach. In doing so we contribute to ongoing debates by putting forward a model of financial wellbeing in the context of Western countries (specifically Australia) that can better incorporate the moderating, mediating, and reciprocal relationships between financial wellbeing and its drivers.

中文翻译：

---

更好的社会政策的系统思考：金融福祉的案例研究

社会问题变得越来越复杂。因此，政策制定者无法用单一政策工具解决这些问题。例如，虽然数十年的研究已经检验了影响财务压力的个人因素，但对于组织、社会结构、政策、社会规范和大型事件如何影响财务压力却知之甚少。相互影响影响一个人的财务状况。我们使用系统方法作为概念化的基础，提出了一个理论模型来帮助政策制定者和实践者解决此类复杂问题的根本原因。我们认为，现有文献没有充分概念化金融福祉的微观、中观和宏观层面驱动因素之间的复杂关系。因此，研究人员、政策制定者和从业者在设计改善个人财务状况的干预措施时资源不足。我们使用经济适用房和社会保障政策的例子来强调系统方法的实用性。在此过程中，我们提出了一种西方国家（特别是澳大利亚）背景下的金融福利模型，可以更好地将金融福利及其驱动因素之间的调节、中介和互惠关系纳入其中，从而为正在进行的辩论做出贡献。