The Four Steps
Micro, Meso, Exo, and Macro provide four steps for examining connections across scales. The map has three nested regions, labeled Microsystem, Exosystem, and Macrosystem. Meso relationships connect nodes within the local Microsystem region.
| Step | Source and task |
|---|---|
| Micro | Submit the first memo and examine local people, settings, and resources. |
| Meso | Create and name relationships between the local nodes. |
| Exo | Submit the second memo, then connect outside settings to the local relationships they affect. |
| Macro | Connect broader policies, values, and structural conditions to affected settings or relationships. |
Micro and Meso
Micro begins with the first memo. The app adds a small set of supported nodes, which you can rename, reclassify, remove, or supplement. Include the people and settings relevant to the situation you are studying. A person, a school, and a community center can each appear as a node when the source supports them.
At Meso, draw the relationships yourself. Select a node, choose Connect from, and select another node. Name what connects them and choose a direction. A phrase such as “refers students to” describes a different relationship from “provides funding for.” Use your source to decide which description fits.
Exo and Macro
The second memo extends the same map. One submission can add both Exo settings and Macro conditions, up to ten nodes in all, and includes a Macro condition whenever the memo evidences one. Exo concerns settings whose actions affect the focal people indirectly. Macro concerns broader policies, values, and historical or social conditions. An office and the policy it administers can appear as separate nodes.
At Exo, you can connect an outside setting to one or more local relationships it affects. At Macro, connect a broader condition to the relevant settings or local relationships. The app adds nodes from the memo, and you decide how to connect them.
Node Placement
Placement depends on the focal people and their involvement. A counseling center may belong at Micro when the student attends it. An office where staff allocate funding may belong at Exo when its decisions affect that student indirectly. The organization's size or name does not settle the question.
Use the node's System and Type fields to correct its classification, then choose Save classification. If a saved connection depends on the existing classification, the app asks you to resolve that conflict first. Your evidence and interpretation should explain the placement and any uncertainty.
Moving Between Steps
Part 1 serves Micro and Meso, and Part 2 serves Exo and Macro. Submit each part's memo before continuing through its steps. You can continue after a successful submission even if the app adds no nodes. You can revisit the memos and mapping steps, and optional Field Notes stay with their respective levels.