My favorite definition of permaculture is: Work with Nature, not Against. (Graham Burnett.)
Some times it can seem like a useless practice when everyone around you is working "against" what you are trying to accomplish. Also, I think a "system" can be as small as your own backyard -- so long as everything works together. And the great thing about permaculture is that it is very contagious. When other people understand what you are doing, they are apt to begin to practice permaculture in their own way.
