How Institutions ThinkPresentation by:

Kristin RedmondJanet Hauge

Mary DouglasBorn in 1921Educated at Oxford University as anthropologistFieldwork in the Belgian CongoAffiliated with:Northwestern Univ.Princeton Univ.Yale Univ.University of Pennsylvania

About the book . . .A result of a lecture series at Syracuse University in March, 1985 given by Mary DouglasTwo-week lecture series for the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs

Emile DurkheimFrench1858-1917Educated in PhilosophyViews of Functionalist SocietyStudies were based on primitive culturesHis beliefs were: the role of society was more important than the individualReligion explained the unknownHis theories were not well received

Ludwik FleckPolish 1896-1961 Studies based on Durkheims theoriesTrained as a medical doctorWidely renowned for his sociologically-oriented approach to the study of science and medical knowledge

Functionalism

A social group that generates its own view of the world, developing a thought style that sustains the pattern of interaction

a theory that stresses the interdependence of the patterns and institutions of a society and their interaction in maintaining cultural and social unity (Websters College Dictionary, 1983)

Thought CollectiveThe individual within the collective is never, or hardly ever, conscious of the prevailing thought style which almost always exerts an absolutely compulsive force upon his thinking, and with which it is not possible to be at variance.Fleck

InstitutionsLegitimized social groupings- family, games, ceremony Social institutions make decisions, solve problems and think on behalf of individualsInstitutions organize and classify information

Right and WrongInstitutions squeeze each others ideas into a common shape so we can prove rightness by sheer numbers. In this we tell one another what right thinking is and pass blame on wrong thinking.

Institutions Remember...Anthropologists are intrigued with rememberingWe remember what is politically correctThe institution manipulates what it wants us to rememberStudies of primitive cultures reveal people have great memories. It is attributed to their simple existence.

And ForgetScientists forget previous discoveries and continually rediscover past scientists works

When they do not fit prevailing political views

The Imperial PalaceAn example of memory being manipulated by institutional structures Preserving gives legitimacy to current political authority locally and globallyRemembering signifies heavenly mandate for the emperor to rule extends to current authorityForgetting aspects of moral, political, financial decline

Does Size Matter?Many studies relating to institutional scaleSmall scale societies vs large scaleOriginally thought that the size of the institution affected the behavior of the individualWhere the ratio of population to resources is proportional, individuals in large or small scale societies behave similarly

Institutions: Small and LargeAmish Society English SocietySmall scale Fewer changesSimpler public memory

Large scaleRapid changesComplex public memory

However, both have similar accuracy of their collective memories.

Similarly said How Institutions ThinkIn a society where technology and division of labor are established, people cannot move beyond the limits set by the stable technology and pattern of work.

The Social Life of Information Loosening the links to the dominant institution allows a new more dynamic institution to form that is encouraged to think outside the box

Our government Citizens run government, yet the government creates the laws and enforces them.As an individual you dont have much influence or impact over the institution

Classification at the most basicA baby with no prior classification knowledge learns first to classify good and bad feelings. He cries due to a negative feeling (hunger, wet, tired). Bad:cryGood:contentGood/bad is the most fundamental classification.

Classifying is institutionalizedColin2 parent familyMinimal caregivers Regular routines

Baby at Angels Wings (emergency foster care)Removed from familyChanging caregiversMinimal routine

Wine classificationFrance wine is categorized by region and chateauCalifornia wine is classified by the grape

Although both systems work to classify wine the systems cannot be compared.

Self-fulfilling prophecyInstitutional classifying produces labels which allow us to classify. Once a label is determined, the category gets filled up.AutismPreschool handicap class

Book Reviews and ImpactWeb of Science - cited 30+ timesEBSCO cited 92 times...this is not an easy book to breeze through. But what it shakes and reshapes is so fundamental to how we perceive and (try to) direct our institutions, that questions raised here can percolate out into our daily deeds at the oddest times. Stewart Brand (Global Business Network review, Dec. 1989)

Our CritiqueVery confusing, a difficult readJumped back and forth, covered many different peoples viewpointsHer viewpoints are unclearCould have been illustrated with more relative examples (such as the wine)

The people we meetAt a cocktail party in the US, one would ask someone, What do you do?In Morocco at a party, one would ask, Where are you from?

What would you ask?

Other things to considerHow does the scale of institutions you are a part of influence your input to that institution?

Can you think outside of your institution? If so, how?

J or KJ or KJ or KJ or K Works based on D and F. Ds theories not well received because his primitive culture studies and the over emphasis on religion as an explanation for the unknownJ or K Extended Durkheims studies. He was not trained in sociology or philosophy. www.fmag.unict.it/~polphil/PolPhil/Fleck/Fleck.html P 32KK The institutions we are part of have manipulated who we are and who we become (where we live, our religion, our schools, our politics, foods, clothing styles..)J 2nd pt--- but do Inst. Really think? Durkheim said they do, but Mary disputes that. The inst does the everyday thinking so people can think about the important things. After 3rd point not necessary for individuals to know why we do certain things if theyre conventions (driving on the right side who cares why this is the way, we just do it. The more precise the institutional convention, the more uncertainty is under control. (p48)Ex SOS and 911 are conventions for HELP!J An example.91K School text books are continually rewritten to reflect the current political trends (Janet 7th grade ss on Israel) For 3rd point---- ex of natives that could remember 11 generations of nameson closer examination, found that the memory was selective. (not Funes Memorious!!)K Merton considered the systematic forgetting to be an integral part of the org. of science.(70) MD felt that scientists forget their past discoveries ex in book was Bartlett Bartletts special contribution to psychology was to show perception and remembering to be controlled by some process sensitive to the purposes and interests of the perceiver. His story is full of ironies. The expert on memory had himself managed to forget his own teachings.(88). We have to forget to move on as an indiv and as a society. An example of forgetting because of not fitting into prevailing polit. views is found in the Imperial Palace article.

J On p 112 of HIT an institution controls the memory of its members causing the members to forget experiences incompatible with its righteous image and brings to their minds events which sustain the view of nature that is complementary to itself. Heres a great analogy--- (HIT) A mirror is not a good metaphor for public memory. Also, public memory is structural amnesia (1940- Evan Pritchard)J This relates to how a person belonging to a small scale inst. responds and acts vs another person who is part of a larger institution --- they both make contributions to their society in relation to what theyll get out of it. An individ will put into society what he will get out of it, nothing extra. He may try to take advantage of others who put in more. J By simpler public memoryAmish have fewer benchmarks of changes

J Allowing new thinking in an established institution, GM set up the Saturn project(154) (HIT 66)K example of large scale society/institWith elections this theme kept coming upK learn from birth how to classifyK Both babies are growing up eating, sleeping in NJ, not far from one another. But the vastly different institutions each baby is being influenced by will be a big part of determining who they are and who they may become. (Relates to the classs first assignment.)J One of the main reasons Calif wines were classified differently was to protect the French producers established classifications. Plus, Calif wines did not fit nicely into the pre-established French classifications. 20 yrs ago when the Napa Valley was emerging into the market they needed to define a separate market to make them distinctive rather than an imitation. Obviously this has succeeded. Calif wines are well-regarded. (Vacations are planned to the Napa Valley nowadays very popular)J P 100---With Autism we have a complex classification system (medical advances enable better ability at classifying) and now we fill it up. Early intervention- 3yr olds get classified now to get into the program that is mandated in NJ as parents are more educated in this area, they can get their kids into the programs. Parents know the classifications exist and are able to have their kids evaluated. J or K** probably more just learning to use web of scienceKJ We are always classifying information based on the institutions we belong to. Both questions help the person draw conclusions about the new person in context to what is important to them and if they may have commonalities in the US their job In Morocco- which area theyre from.