Return-Path: sendmail 5.67/UCSD-2.2-sun Tue, 6 Apr 93 19:52:58 -0700 for /usr/lib/sendmail -oc -odq -oQ/var/spool/mqueue -oi -fsocgrad-relay socgrad-list Date: Tue, 06 Apr 93 22:48 EDT From: UPAMMP@UNCMVS.OIT.UNC.EDU To: socgrad@UCSD.EDU Subject: social engineering Steve Harvey and David Flint have raised an interesting issue. Can one design (social engineering wise) a social system that creates opportunities for change, while still allowing the actors themeselves to decide the method, speed, and depth of the change. In some sense, I believe that was what Coleman was attempting to do. I too worry, as does David Flint, that having 'privileged' social scientists design systems for disadvantaged people does not truely take their interests into account. However, I also feel that sitting back and describing what is actually occurring may not be beneficial. Usually, the discussions of 'the way things are' take place in mediums where the disadvantaged do not have (and may not wish to have) access. Which brings me back to my orginal museing... the challenge may be to develop a social system that is flexible enough to allow the disadvantged to 'make their own agenda.' while still acheiving goals for the benefit of society. (Of course, the question remains of who is decideing what is beneficial to society...) and, in defense of Coleman, I think that he is proposing something that attempts to model this flexibility. If we take his thought experiment about bounties on children a bit further it seems that there is no real guideline, unless one gets created, for how parents are supposed to maximize their childs value to society. They can 'commission' out in any manner that they choose. They have the ability to meet the objective criteria of 'value' in any fashion. Granted, I am being kind to Coleman here but I think it is something to think about. a really intersting book on the issue of letting the oppressed choose the method of their own empowerment is Pedagogy of the Oppressed but I am unfortunately blanking on the author right now. Its a pretty famous book though so maybe someone else can help me out... Pam Paxton