Social
Development Theory
By Garry Jacobs and Harlan
Cleveland
20. Phases of Human Choice
Social development has always involved a tension
between two poles of its existence, collective and individual. The collective
strives to ensure its preservation, perpetuation and development, preparing and
compelling its individual members to abide by its traditions, laws and values,
and contribute their energy and effort to defend and support the community. At
the same time, individual members strive to ensure their survival, to preserve
and, whenever possible, to elevate their material and social positions,
personal comfort and enjoyment.
For a very long period of recorded history,
the collective compelled the submission and obedience of its members to support
the development and free exercise of choice by a very limited number of
individuals constituting its ruling elite. This tendency reached its acme in
the divine right of kings, a doctrine that effectively made the whole society
subservient to the whims and fancies of a single individual as an embodiment of
the collective will and collective good. All served so that one person could
live fully.
Human progress over the past five centuries
has moved very far away from this extreme pole of collective domination. The
collective has discovered a new formula for its progress—all individuals should
be encouraged to develop so that the collective may develop to the maximum. The
translation of this new principle into practice has taken several centuries and
is still only partially realized. But the direction is clearly reflected in the
continuous move toward democracy, universal education, human rights, and access
to social opportunities. Society is discovering that providing the maximum
human choice to its individual members is the most effective means of releasing
human energy, creativity and initiative for the maximum development of the
collective.
The Protestant Reformation was a landmark for
Western society in the emergence of individual choice in the field of religion.
A parallel shift has been identified by historians as one of the root causes
for the decline of feudalism in Western Europe. The aristocracy discovered that
a free farmer working for himself generated higher production and more tax
revenue than an indentured serf working for mere subsistence. Since then
society has experimented boldly with new ways to increase the range and quality
of individual choice within a collective social framework. In subsequent
centuries the rise of democracy extended human choice to the political field
and the market system has institutionalized economic choice for workers and
consumers.
But the collective’s decision to empower
individual choice can best be viewed as the first rather than the last step in
human development. For the decision of the collective to encourage individual
human choice is no guarantee that individuals will accept and exercise that
choice or, if they do so, that they will do so wisely. The phase of human
choice that has characterized this century as the “century of the common man”
can also been characterized as one in which most individual members continue to
define their opinions, attitudes, values, preferences and aspirations very
largely in terms that the collective sanctions and approves. Society may have
consented to creative individuals exercising free choice, but for most
individuals there remains a strong motivation to conform to the views and
expectations of the collective and to depend on the collective as the primary
determinant. So strong is this urge for conformity that even in science, a
person’s social position and prestige are often more powerful determinants of
how the scientific community responds than the objectivity or rationality of
the views expressed.
We can conceive of a time in the future when
society has evolved to what we may term a second phase of human choice. In this
society, not only the collective, but most of its individual members as well
would have the realization that the individual human being is the determinant
of its own future. This would constitute a true society of individuals,
arriving at their own ideals, beliefs and values, discovering and expressing more
fully their own innate potentials, rather than continuously looking to the
collective as a role model for direction and support. We can imagine that this
phase would be marked by an enormously enhanced level of energy, fresh
initiative, innovation, invention, creativity and free expression and a far
more rapid general advancement of the society as a whole in whatever fields of
activity it chooses to develop. It might be a society of pioneers.
Yet such a phase, if achieved, would not in
any way lessen the tension between the individual and the collective. Rather it
might intensify the conflict to the point of threatening social cohesion and
stability, in much the same way as the social and economic liberation of women
in Western society may have affected the social institution of marriage. It
might even become a society of rebels or revolutionaries with little tolerance
for the status quo or the views of the collective.
For an ultimate reconciliation of
individuality with collective existence, we must envision a further phase of
development in which social stability is achieved through the conscious
understanding and consent of its individual members rather than by the force of
collective authority or external limits imposed on the power of individual self-assertion.
In this phase, the individual would advance beyond the discovery of his own
uniqueness and inner capacity to discover the complementary truth that the
individual is a portion and expression of the collective society and can
achieve maximum fulfillment only by discovering and relating positively with
the other aspects and expressions of self which also form part of the larger
social organism.
If this comes to pass, we would then have
witnessed the transition of society through three phases of emergence from
undifferentiated collective existence.
·
The undifferentiated phase is one in which the individuality is
undeveloped and individual choice is suppressed or restricted to a very small
ruling elite. The collective imposes its values on the individual.
·
Gradually the collective comes to recognize the necessity and value of
actively promoting the development and expression of individual human choice in
its members as a means for its own greater development. The collective
discovers the value of the individual human being and the power of free human
choice. This is the phase which most societies are in different stages of
transiting: individuality is nominally
encouraged, yet the vast majority of people depend psychologically on the collective
as the primary determinant and power for their development and subconsciously
act in conformity with its expectations.
·
In this phase, individual members of society discover the source of
creative energy and unlimited human potential within themselves and draw on
that source to achieve far higher levels of development in any fields they
pursue. The individual discovers the value and power of individual human
choice. Conflict between the collective and its members would still be possible
and could even increase.
·
A phase could come in which individual members discover that they are
only individual expressions of the collective and that their existence is
fulfilled in consciously lending their energies for the pursuit and fulfillment
of the aspirations of the collective. The developed individual consciously
affirms the values of the collective as his or her own. This achievement would
mark a further phase in the social development of the collective. It might also
prepare the possibility of a truly spiritual development for the human
community founded on the twin truths of spiritual freedom and spiritual
oneness.
21. Parallels
between social and business development
During a workshop presentation at the November
1998 World Academy Conference on the Global Century held in Vancouver, Canada,
businessman Walt Stinson drew some interesting parallels between the principles
of development theory outlined in the Human Choice paper and principles of
business development set forth in several books by Fred Harmon, Garry Jacobs
and Robert Macfarlane. We believe that the parallels he observed arise from the
fact that both societies and businesses develop according to the same process,
one macro, the other micro. We wish to identify some points of correspondence
here as a basis for further exploration during the Madras meeting.
1.
In the case of both business and society, development can be defined as
an upward directional movement from lesser to greater levels of energy,
efficiency, quality, productivity, complexity, comprehension, creativity,
mastery, enjoyment and accomplishment.
2.
Businesses, like societies, develop as a result of a self-conception
that is sometimes conscious, often subconscious. Both the democratic union of
the 13 original American colonies and India’s Green Revolution were the result
of the conscious self-conception of a few perceptive leaders, while the
population-at- large remained only vaguely aware of the process it was
participating in. In the case of business, the original self-conception is
usually the creation of a founding entrepreneur, but over time many other
people contribute to its formulation. A noted instance of conscious
self-conception was Fred Smith’s idea for establishing an overnight delivery
business to compete with United Parcel Service and the US Postal Service, at a
time when both were already multi-billion dollar operations. The company he
founded in the early 1970s, Federal Express, became for a time the fastest
growing company of all time and now has annual revenues exceeding $12 billion.
Smith’s conscious conception may have been partially shared by many of the
company’s managers and employees, but many others may have participated in the
process as part of their routine employment with only a vague notion of the
larger vision that inspired its leaders.
3.
The development of a business, like the development of a society, is
fueled by the aspiration of its people. In the case of business, the aspiration
of the owners and leaders is a critical determinant of how far and how fast the
business grows. In the case of the society, the role of leadership is played by
entrepreneurial pioneers that initiate new activities and the psychological
intensity of their pursuit is a critical determinant of success. But in either
case, the greater the aspiration of all the people involved, the more powerful
the impetus for accomplishment.
4.
We stated in Human Choice that surplus energy is an essential condition
for social development. Only in the presence of surplus capacity can new
activities be supported. The same is true in business. Companies struggling for
survival or to meet the minimum requirements of their customers lack the excess
capacity needed to plan and initiate new activities or elevate their functioning
to a higher level of organization.
5.
New modes of activity are introduced in society by pioneering individual
initiatives that are imitated and disseminated by others, diffuse through the
society and are eventually accepted and integrated with the normal functioning
of the society. New modes of activity are introduced in a company by pioneering
individual initiatives that are imitated and disseminated by others, diffuse
through the company, and are eventually accepted and integrated with the normal
functioning of the company.
6.
Authority is a fundamental principle of organization that is essential
to the survival and development of both societies and companies. Government,
social and cultural authority as expressed through social norms, systems,
institutions, laws, customs, and values determine the effectiveness with which
surplus energy is converted by society into productive power. Corporate
authority is expressed more and more through the discipline of impersonal
rules, systems, coordination of activities, policies, corporate culture and
values that determine the effectiveness with which surplus energy is converted
by a business into productive power, rather than by top down personal exercise
of authority by a management hierarchy. But regardless of whether the form is
personal or impersonal, this discipline is fundamental to the successful
functioning of an organization.
7.
Social know-how in the form of technology, practical knowledge and
skills determines the conversion of productive power into material results in
both society and business.
8.
The productivity of social resources is not subject to any inherent
limits. It depends on the attitudes, information, knowledge, organization and
skills creatively applied – i.e. on powers of mind. The productivity of a
company’s resources is not subject to any inherent limits. It depends on the
attitudes, information, knowledge, organization and skills creatively applied –
i.e. on powers of mind.
9.
In research for his upcoming book on business in 2010, Fred Harmon is
exploring the relationship between the five essential components of a
business—market, technology, people, capital and organization— and the five
parallel components of social development—social needs, technology, people,
resources and organization. As a microcosm and child of the society, companies
develop by attuning themselves to the direction, trends and changing needs of
the wider society of which they are a part in each of these five major areas.
This relationship is especially apparent in larger national and multinational
corporations whose development is often closely tied to parallel developments
in the societies in which they function.
10.
The utilization of social development potential depends on the society’s
level of awareness, aspiration, organization, values, knowledge and skills. The
utilization of business development potential depends on the company’s level of
awareness, aspiration, organization, values, knowledge and skills.
11.
Both companies and societies depend for their development on three
levels of organized infrastructure— a physical organization of production,
transportation, communication, etc.; a social organization of legal, financial,
commercial, and educational systems and institutions; and a mental organization
of information, technology and knowledge. All three are needed for the
achievement of progressively more complex forms of economic activity.
12.
For both businesses and societies, values represent that highest form of
organization for directing human energies in constructive and productive
activities. The quality and height of the values set the limits on the
magnitude of developmental achievements.
22. Summary
of social development principles
1.
We define social development in its broadest social terms as an upward
directional movement of society from lesser to greater levels of energy,
efficiency, quality, productivity, complexity, comprehension, creativity,
choice, mastery, enjoyment and accomplishment. Development of individuals and
societies results in increasing freedom of choice and increasing capacity to
fulfill its choices by its own capacity and initiative.
2.
Growth and development usually go together, but they are different
phenomena subject to different laws. Growth involves a horizontal or
quantitative expansion and multiplication of existing types and forms of
activities. Development involves a vertical or qualitative enhancement of the
level of organization.
3.
Social development is driven by the subconscious aspirations/ will of
society for advancement. The social will seeks progressive fulfillment of a
prioritized hierarchy of needs – security of borders, law and order,
self-sufficiency in food and shelter, organization for peace and prosperity,
expression of excess energy in entertainment, leisure and enjoyment, knowledge,
and artistic creativity.
4.
Development of society occurs only in fields where that collective will
is sufficiently strong and seeking expression. Development strategies will be
most effective when they focus on identifying areas where the social will is
mature and provide better means for the awakened social energy to express
itself. Only those initiatives that are in concordance with this subconscious
urge will gain momentum and multiply.
5.
Development of the collective is subconscious. It starts with physical
experience which eventually leads to conscious comprehension of the process.
Conscious development based on conceptual knowledge of the social process
accelerates development and minimizes errors and imbalances.
6.
Society is the field of organized relationships and interactions between
individuals. Only a small portion of human activity is organized for
utilization by society, so only a small portion of development potential (of
technology, knowledge, information, skills, systems) is tapped.
7.
Every society possesses a huge reservoir of potential human energy that
is absorbed and held static in its organized foundations—its cultural values,
physical security, social beliefs and political structures. At times of
transition, crises and opportunities, those energies are released and expressed
in action. Policies, strategies and programs that tap this latent energy and
channel it into constructive activities can stir an entire nation to action and
rapid advancement.
8.
The act is the basic unit of social organization. The evolution of more
complex and productive activities woven together by people to form systems,
organizations, institutions and cultural values constitute the fabric or web of
social organization.
9.
The essential nature of the development process is the progressive
development of social organizations and institutions that harness and direct
the society’s energies for higher levels of accomplishment. Society develops by
organizing all the knowledge, human energies and material resources at its
disposal to fulfill its aspirations.
10.
The process of formation of organization takes place simultaneously at
several levels: the organization of peace and physical security in society, the
organization of physical activities and infrastructure, the organization of
productive processes through the application of skills and technology in
agriculture, industry and services, the organization of social processes we
call systems, laws, institutions and administrative agencies, the organization
of data as useful information, the organization of knowledge through education
and science, and the organization of higher social and cultural values that
channel human energy into higher forms of expression.
11.
Each of these levels of organization admits of unlimited development.
Each of these levels of organization depends upon and interacts with the
others. Elevating the organization at any of these levels increases the
utilization of resources and opportunities and accelerates development.
12.
Development requires an enormous investment of energy to break existing
patterns of social behavior and form new ones. Development takes place when
surplus social energies accumulate beyond the level required for functioning at
the present level. The social energy may be released in response to the opening
up of a new opportunity or confrontation by a severe challenge. Where different
cultures meet and blend, explosive energies for social evolution are released.
13.
Expression of surplus energy through existing forms of activity may
result in growth—a quantitative expansion of society at the existing level of
organization. Channeling the surplus energy into more complex and effective
forms of organized activity leads to development—a qualitative enhancement in
the capabilities of the society. The fresh initiatives that lead to this
qualitative enhancement usually occur first in the unorganized activities of
society that are not constrained and encumbered by the inertia of the status
quo.
14.
The rate and extent of development is determined by prevalent social
attitudes which control the flow of social energies. Where attitudes are not
conducive, development strategies will not yield results. In this case the
emphasis should be placed on strategies to bring about a change in social
attitudes—such as public education, demonstration and encouragement of
successful pioneers.
15.
The social gradient between people at different levels of power and
accomplishment in society represents a ‘voltage differential’ that stimulates
less accomplished sections of the population to seek what the more accomplished
have achieved. The urge to maintain this voltage gap compels those at the top
to seek further accomplishments. At the same time, the overall development of
society is determined by its ability to make accessible the privileges and
benefits achieved by those at the top to the rest of its members.
16.
Development proceeds rapidly in those areas where the society becomes
aware of opportunities and challenges and has the will to respond to them.
Increasing awareness accelerates the process.
17.
Social progress is stimulated by pioneering individuals who first become
conscious of new opportunities and initiate new behaviors and activities to
take advantage of them. Pioneers are the lever or spearhead for collective
advancement. Pioneers give conscious expression to the subconscious urges and
readiness of the collective.
18.
Development occurs when pioneering individual initiatives are imitated
by others, multiplied and actively supported by the society. Society then
actively organizes the new activity by establishing supportive laws, systems
and institutions. At the next stage it integrates the new activity with other
fields of activity and assimilates it into its educational system. The activity
has become fully assimilated as part of the culture when it is passed on to the
next generation as values through the family.
19.
Development is a process, not a program. Development is an activity of
the society as a whole. It can be stimulated, directed or assisted by
government policies, laws and special programs, but it cannot be compelled or
carried out by administrative or external agencies on behalf of the population.
Development strategy should aim to release people’s initiative, not to
substitute for it.
20.
All resources are the creation of the human mind. Something becomes a
resource when human beings recognize a productive or more productive use for
it. Since there are no inherent limits to human inventiveness and
resourcefulness, the potential productivity of any resource is unlimited.
21.
Human beings are the ultimate resource and ultimate determinant of the
development process. It is a process of
people becoming more aware of their own creative potentials and taking
initiative to realize those potentials. Human awareness, aspiration and
attitudes determine society’s response to circumstances. Development occurs
only at the points where humanity recognizes its power to determine results.
22.
The development of social organization takes place within a larger
evolutionary context in which the consciousness of humanity is evolving along a
continuum from physical to vital to mental. This evolution expresses as a
progressive shift in emphasis from material resources to technological and
information resources; from the social importance of land to the importance of
money and knowledge; from hereditary rights of the elite to fundamental rights
for all human beings; from reliance on physical forms of authority to laws and
shared values. As society advances along this continuum, development becomes
more conscious and more rapid.
23.
Infinity is a practical concept. Human potential is unlimited.
Development potential is infinite.
24.
The same principles and process govern development in different fields
of social life – political, economic, technological, scientific, cultural, etc.
25. The same principles and process govern development
at the level of the individual, the
organization and the
society.
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