Arenas for Governing : PH'6Q

Orientation

The RL6/PH6-Purpose Domain is dominated by the pressure for Autonomyand meets the Primal Need for governing.

As explained, Governing Arenas (PH'6Q) are mobilized by hope and they lead to the expectation of benefits. It follows that these Arenas have profound political significance.

We all seek benefits from society, so all Arenas may be subject to intense concern by everyone from time to time, which is in contrast with other Domains.
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The PH'2Q-Knowing Arenas can be and often are mostly ignored or avoided. PH'4Q-individualizing Arenas are similar. When results are important in organizations, attention may need to be paid to all or most PH'1Q-Achieving Arenas. A person may be involved in a few of the PH'5Q-Associating Arenas, but rarely all.

The Arenas

Q1-Arena generates a hoped-for political benefit that is based in solving problems (L'1-Rationalist) subject to preservation of the society's traditions (L'2-Conventionalist).

That means it is about meeting desired social goals in a ways that are enabled and shaped by custom. Everything depends here on delivering helpful improvements, so the primary psychosocial pressure appears to be for performance.

Proposed THEE Name:  Progress

Q2-Arena generates a hoped-for political benefit that is based in preservation of society (L'2-Conventionalist) subject to interests of the most powerful groups (L'3-Pluralist).

That means it is about respecting social values and responding to stressful events, even if compromises broadly favour the existing power structure. The challenge here is that society will be disrupted is it does not stand firm and united, so the primary psychosocial pressure appears to be certainty in regard to the relevant values.

Proposed THEE Name:  Solidarity

Q3-Arena generates a hoped-for political benefit that is based in respecting the interests of powerful groups (L'3-Pluralist) subject to the call for self-reliance and initiative of each member of society (L'4-Individualist).

An individual is only recognized in society through the group(s) to which he belongs. That means it is about the inevitability for a diversity of groups as the foundation for personal thriving in society, with individual self-interest used to empower a preferred group. A war of all against all must be avoided. So the power structure is a given, with individuals having some choice of groups to join and how to operate. The primary psychosocial pressure appears to be for acceptability in relation to groups and the group structure.

Proposed THEE Name:  Coexistence

Q4-Arena generates a hoped-for political benefit that is based in self-reliance and the pursuit of self-interest (L'4-Individualist) subject to the necessity of social interaction and the needs flowing from living within a community (L'5-Communalist).

That means it is about personally benefiting from interacting with others. As self-interest is a necessity for surviving and community participation is vital to thriving, the primary psychosocial pressure appears to be for well-being.

Proposed THEE Name:  Prosperity

Q5-Arena generates a hoped-for political benefit that is based in the necessity of social interaction and community living (L'5-Communalist) subject to the necessity of rules accepted by all to provide protection and predictability (L'6-Legitimist).

That means the setting of widely followed rules that ensure the goods emerging from social life are not stolen, exploited or cornered by those willing to exercise brute force. As breaking rules is easy and personally beneficial, the primary psychosocial pressure appears to be for understanding of their necessity.

Proposed THEE Name:  Security

Q6-Arena generates a hoped-for political benefit that is based in the acceptance of rules to provide fairness and protection (L'6-Legitimist) subject to recognition of the role of inspiration and inner conviction in deciding what is right and good (L'7-Transcendentalist).

That means it is about ensuring that regulations respect the uniqueness and inalienable rights of every member of society. Given the rule-following is ultimately optional and convictions about what is good are a private matter, the primary psychosocial pressure appears to be for autonomy.

Proposed THEE Name:  Morality

Q7-Arena generates a hoped-for political benefit that is based in every person having an inner sense about what is right and good (L'7-Transcendentalist) subject to recognition that unavoidable personal and group differences can and should be solved by reason and effort (L'1-Rationalist).

That means it is about ensuring that personal ability can be freely used for self-evidently required social development. Putting social needs ahead of self-interest suggests that the primary psychosocial pressure is selflessness

Proposed THEE Name:  Tolerance

Secondary Psychosocial Pressures

In the PH'6-Governing Arenas, the Q Arenas are mobilized by hope that provides for significantbenefits. As we ascend the Q's, the Arenas become progressively more abstract.

Q1-Progress

This Arena has performance as its primary pressure as explained above.

Reviewing the constituent perspectives—member concerns, bureaucracy, expert judgements, ideological convictions, majority views, minority requirements, cultural factors—there appears to be a secondary pressure for understanding without which none of the processes will be well-handled.

Other pressures may be involved but they are not so crucial.
Details

• I exclude performance, because that is the primary pressure.
• Not certainty, because all components and significant changes are inherently uncertain.
• Not acceptability, because some components may well be unacceptable to many, and pursued despite that.
• Not well-being, because people will be affected in various ways, that are not always evident.
• Not autonomy, because there is no focus on actions or choices by any particular person.
• Not selflessness, because while this may apply to some people, concerns about progress tend to be self-centred.

Q2-Solidarity

This Arena has certainty as its primary pressure as explained above. However, there is an expectation here for achieving consensus in relation to some sort of challenge.

Reviewing the constituent perspectives—popular assertion, customary expectations, group interests, social consensus, historical precedents, current events, authoritative pronouncements—there appears to be a secondary pressure for performance. Where cohesion is unsatisfactory, solidarity suffers.

Other pressures may be involved but they are not so crucial.
Details

• I exclude certainty, because that is the primary pressure.
• Not acceptability, because the relevant values and many other factors are already acceptable.
• Not well-being, because solidarity may involve facing painful realities.
• Not understanding, because this about long-standing values and power structures that are part of the culture.
• Not autonomy, because this is about the whole group and a person's idiosyncratic choices do not play a part
• Not selflessness, because it is natural for self-interest and group interests to be relevant.

Q3-Coexistence

This Arena has acceptability as its primary pressure as explained above. However, daily life depends on a stable social structure and each person is dependent on their group for meaningful social recognition and support.

Reviewing the constituent perspectives—group membership, group preferences, group principles, group compromise, personal identity, responsibility, integrity—there appears to be a secondary pressure for selflessness without which none of the processes will be well-handled.

Other pressures may be involved but they are not so crucial.
Details

• Not performance, because there is no orientation here to action or achievement.
• Not certainty, because the situation is constantly changing in unpredictable ways.
• I exclude acceptability, because that is the primary pressure.
• Not well-being, because group membership is a necessity for political life regardless of comfort.
• Not understanding, because there are no major issues
• Not autonomy, because that is potentially disruptive.

Q4-Prosperity

This Arena has well-being as its primary pressure as explained above.

Reviewing the constituent perspectives—markets, power, causes, community, kinship, perspective, reality—there appears to be a secondary pressure for autonomy. Prospering requires a freedom and a responsibility to find well-being and to be productive in a personally preferred way.

Other pressures may be involved but they are not so crucial.
Details

• Not performance, because prospering is not just about achieving.
• Not certainty, because life is an adventure and managing its uncertainty is intrinsic to prospering.
• Not acceptability, because there is no call for conformity to a group and yet it may be necessary to accept the unacceptable to prosper.
• I exclude well-being, because that is the primary pressure.
• Not understanding, because many relevant factors cannot be understood.
• Not selflessness, because personal interests and preferences are at the centre of attention.

Q5-Security

This Arena has understanding as its primary pressure as explained above.

Reviewing the constituent perspectives—needs, services, deserts, development, entitlement, rules, ideals—there appears to be a secondary pressure for certainty. Ensuring security involves realizing the world is filled with potential dangers but that it is worth reducing the uncertainty surrounding these.

However, there are numerous threats not all of which can be addressed easily, and efforts for security generate a range of costs and even harms. Therefore it appears there is a secondary pressure for acceptability.

Other pressures may be involved but they are not so crucial.
Details

• Not performance, because that seems too dynamic.
• Not acceptability, because security often makes demands that are unacceptable.
• Not well-being, because the focus is on social goods and community benefit.
• I exclude understanding, because that is the primary pressure.
• Not autonomy, because its assertion can disrupt a focus on the common good.
• Not selflessness, because a focus on the self is required to assess social justice and security initiatives.

Q6-Morality

This Arena has autonomy as its primary pressure as explained above.

Reviewing the constituent perspectives—obligations, goals, liberties, cohesion, doctrine, individuality, aspirations—there appears to be a secondary pressure for well-being. While morality demands a willing altruistic concern for the needs of others and the community, each person is expected to be able to feel good when maintaining community standards.

Other pressures may be involved but they are not so crucial.
Details

• Not performance, because this arena is about how to live in society.
• Not certainty, because morality tends to be impervious to doubt, or if doubted, impervious to proofs.
• Not acceptability, because group choices and values are dominant.
• Not understanding, because morality is a matter of habit and given custom.
• I exclude autonomy, because that is the primary pressure.
• Not selflessness, because there is a large personal component.

Q7-Tolerance

This  Arena has selflessness as its primary pressure as explained above.

Reviewing the constituent perspectives—differentiation, reflection, situations, integration, necessity, celebration, outlook—there appears to be a secondary pressure for acceptability. Tolerance in any society assumes that pursuit of communal betterment involves selflessness that i subject to accepting. This permits a wide variety of beliefs and interests that are found in any community, subject to certain limits which may be articulated.

Other pressures may be involved but they are not so crucial.
Details

• Not performance, because this is an attitude without specific tasks.
• Not certainty, because the limits of diversity are inherently uncertain.
• Not well-being, because that would be too self-focussed.
• Not understanding, because many views and beliefs will never be understood by many others.
• Not autonomy, because its assertion would disrupt the necessary selflessness.
• I exclude selflessness, because that is the primary pressure.

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It is now evident that there is a particular pattern of secondary pressures.

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• Now review the psychosocial pressures in the Q-expansion.

Originally posted:  24-Sep-2022. Last updated: 12-Mar-2023.Performan