Review the Ways to Affect Institutions

Comparison

Having identified societal institutions as a distinctive form of association, an attempt has been made to characterise ways to affect them. The goal is change with the expectation of improvement.

The work is requisitely required by citizens, accepted in the culture, supported by the government and reflected in the media.

However, at present, even in the most developed societies, many citizens still have a fear of freedom, have been trained to feel entitled, and hanker for the security of a paternalistic-authoritarian government. Most politicians are only too willing to gather power to themselves and desire a docile submissive populace who accepts the way their needs are met.

Nevertheless if the political climate is sufficiently liberal, ways to generate improvement exist for those willing to do the work. The work-activities for each of the levels in societal institutions have been proposed and examined in the previous topics. The account of societal institutions is true to the original observation that they are impossible to manage.

The following table provides a summary and enables easy comparison: click the name to review the topic in detail.

L's Name Quality Requirement Actors Unique Output
L7 Transparency Radical
Extensive
Official-judicial
 Expectations to see documents, and hear from those involved. Senior legal figure; often a team of distinguished individuals with experts. Trusted Conclusions
due to comprehensive exposure of realities.
L6 Perspectives Debatable
Challenged
Factional 		Public should be aware of diverse viewpoints and see them challenged. Public figures, opinion-formers, experts, sector representatives. Distinctive Positions
subject to on-the-spot challenges.
L5 Statistics Selected
Meaningful
Revealing		 Data should be made available under freedom of information laws. Activist charities; reform-generating bodies. Highlighted Quantification serving as an indication of functioning.
L4 Narratives Credible
Constructed
Influential		 Well-researched grasp of the current challenges in historical-cultural context. Societal leaders, political parties, interest groups, senior editors. Influential Synthesis that is easy to grasp, provides a direction, and is encouraging.
L3 Analyses Topical
Critical
Penetrating		 In-depth investigations with a high concern for accuracy and validity. Official review bodies; academics; investigative journalists; experts. Useful Recommendations with a basis in social reality published in books or reports.
L2 Remedies Discussed
Opinionated
Obvious
 Disseminating and campaigning for immediate desirable change. Activists; campaign organisers; populist politicians. Simple Proposals that seem to directly address a current problem.
L1 Interests Need-based
Self-centred
Vested		 Being affected by the current state of the institution. Anyone, especially if working in the institution or expecting services. Insistent Demands to respond to specific communal needs and shared values.

 

L's Work-
to-be -Done		 Function   Problem Resolution
L7 Demand
Transparency 		To bring pressure to bear on powerful actors so that the public can see currently hidden material directly relevant to an issue.     Use of compulsion
L6 Challenge
Perspectives 		To confront representatives of influential and relevant factions about their position and its implications in relation to an issue.      
L5 Highlight
Statistics 		To make public specific statistics that shed light on the success or failure of institutional functioning in some dimension.   Statistics are bad and out of context. Impartial fact-checking agencies
L4 Construct Narratives To rally the public around a simplified credible and reassuring conception of the institution relevant to any issue of concern. Inspire positive change, raise awareness and facilitate consensus around decisions. Narratives are self-serving and may manipulate or mislead the public or create discord.  
L3 Analyse
Issues 		To provide in-depth knowledge of a topical issue through an analysis based on investigation, interviewing, and gathering of relevant information.   Reports are long, detailed and difficult for non-specialists to digest.  
L2 Discuss
Remedies 		To get wider social attention on immediate choices that appear to deal with current failings in the institution.   Remedies are simplistic and ignored powerful forces in opposition.  
L1 Promote
Interests 		To get wider social attention on the flouting of shared values, especially poorly met or unmet needs.   Assert importance  

 

Reflection

The complexity and difficulty associated with the functioning and improvement of societal institutions has been a notable finding. The following items are offered for reflection.

ClosedCommunication is Vulnerable

It is evident that the required work involves proclaiming, discussing, studying, analysing and publishing about the institution in public settings. While this is an interactive and highly political activity, it is a broadly rational process which needs to be driven by the public interest.

Progress is undermined by vested interests that engage in deception, lies, falsification of findings, secrecy and hypocrisy. Given sufficient goodwill and determination, ways forward that have sufficient popular support can emerge.

Talk and texts do not in themselves deliver change. That only occurs when values and beliefs alter and affect autonomous decisions by relevant bodies within the institution who become convinced that approval will come from their staff, counter-parties and wider society. Specific choices may also be supported, regulated, enabled or partially implemented by government.

ClosedOutcomes are Uncertain

Institutional progress is an evolutionary process, which means it involves trial-and-error with a selection of what works. But even a seemingly sensible innovation or initiative can be de-railed inadvertently or deliberately.

Because of sunk costs, social conventions, and vested interests, the way particular values are implemented may lead to an inefficient or weak dead-end from which it may be hard to recover.

ClosedDissatisfaction invites Authoritarianism

The more serious outcome of discontent with an institution is the activation of a longing for a direct authoritarian solution. Tempting as that may be, authoritarian methods, especially if repeated too often, undermine the institution—and indeed all societal institutions.

Once people become passive and avoid civic duties, their civil rights can be all too easily weakened. New regulations and laws then emerge to impede transparency and interfere with criticism. Government starts to muzzle the press and oppress journalists. The judiciary then comes under more political control. The populace may well submit if economic well-being is sufficient. However, if the loss of services and rights becomes intolerable, economic damage is likely and then turmoil will emerge.

Validation

The identified work-activities to affect societal institutions should be familiar to anyone living in a liberal-democratic society: so there is some face validity to the formulations.

One deeper issue might be whether there are additional forms of work, not mentioned. This is suggestively resolved by gaining conviction of the validity of (1) the hierarchy and (2) the TET layout.

From numerous other2.9.5 Role of Government.htm frameworks, certain general properties of these taxonomic structures have been identified. If these can be applied sensibly here, then that will be some evidence for validity. These properties include:

For Hierarchy:

Oscillating duality: the odd and even types/levels should have opposing qualities.

For TET:

Quadrant properties: Quadrants should be distinctive with a similarity or linkage of the two types in each quadrant, and a potential for antagonism between diagonally opposite quadrants.

Approach duality: the two diagonals should have opposing qualities that are illuminating, and a progression should be noticeable as the diagonals are ascended (or descended).

Concentric circles: The inner and the outer circle should reflect a social versus personal duality with a natural intra-quadrant linkage.

Exploration of standard TET patterns not only provides validation, but also increase our understanding of the properties of the various types of work:

Then:

Originally posted: 14-Nov-2022. Latest update: 30-Jun-2023.