Multicausality maintains that a phenomenon is always generated by a multiplicity of causes.
The principle that maintains that a phenomenon always has multiple causes is called multicausality . The idea of cause , meanwhile, refers to the origin or reason for something .
Multicausality indicates that events have different foundations . There is no single cause that produces the effect in question, but that consequence is reached through the action of various factors.
It is generally accepted that these causes are ordered , linked and interact with each other . The notion of multicausality appears both in the field of social sciences and in the field of natural sciences .
Multicausality of various phenomena
An economic crisis , for example, can be explained from multiple causes. Suppose that a country is going through a period of contraction of its economy related to the fall in the international price of the products it exports. This price collapse, in turn, is associated with a change in tax tariffs imposed by a world power . As can be seen, the crisis has more than one cause.
Insecurity is also a phenomenon crossed by multiple causes. The lack of job opportunities; educational problems; the growth of drug sales and consumption; and the lack of resources of the security forces are some of the reasons that may explain the increase in crime.
Multicausality, on the other hand, is used when referring to what leads to depression . In this syndrome, which is characterized by sadness and despondency, genetic and biological issues are combined with psychosocial elements.
Science is dedicated to studying multicausality to determine the foundations of different events.
Different concurrent elements
When we think about the concept of cause , we usually use a unitary view: one thing gives rise to another . Although it may be an action, a natural phenomenon or an accident, it is common for us to think that at each end there is only one element. One of the simplest situations is a burn from touching fire: there is an action that leads to an injury, and this seems enough to avoid misfortune.
However, in certain areas of science, and even in the example of the burn, it is not enough to analyze the most obvious cause, and that is when the need arises to address problems thinking about multicausality. In fact, we should not separate both concepts, since they are two versions of the same thing, and in both cases they provide us with a vision that opposes superstition and ancient beliefs that things happened because the gods decided so. Both diseases and successful crops can now be explained by complex networks of interrelated events, but in the past they were accepted as part of divine design .
The multicausality of the COVID-19 pandemic
The year 2020 was characterized by the spread of COVID-19, a viral disease that caused many deaths around the world and altered social organization in an unexpected way. At first glance, we can say that its causality in an individual is that they contract the disease, that is, that they are exposed to the virus known as coronavirus ( SARS-CoV2 ); However, if we think at the population level, we must combine many more causes to explain the spread , the increase in certain regions or age groups, etc., and that is why we must talk about multicausality.
For example, the spread in a given group could be explained by the number of confirmed cases, if it were too high. In another, however, it could be linked to the lack of responsibility of those who refuse to comply with prevention measures, which in this case included wearing a mask and social distancing. Exposure to certain sources of contamination could be another cause. All of them, and many others, must be included in the multicausality of this disease .