Two routes to social change
Sep. 25th, 2004 03:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eve_primeJoseph de Rivera, writing in Field Theory as Human-Science about Kurt Lewin's field theory (p.428):
"In the situation where one group is trying to change the norms or procedures of society at large, they are essentially trying to change customs that are held in place by a whole set of forces. An analysis of the situation will reveal that some of these forces are preventing changes in the customs while other forces are actually working for changes. That is, the customs are really held in a "quasi-stable" equilibrium by a set of opposing forces. The group working to change the customs may do so either by attempting to increase the forces for change or by decreasing the forces against change. However, there is a critical difference between the strategies. If the former is adopted, there will necessarily be an increase in the tension of the situation, with the resulting consequences, while if the latter strategy is successful, the change will occur with a decrease in tension."
"In the situation where one group is trying to change the norms or procedures of society at large, they are essentially trying to change customs that are held in place by a whole set of forces. An analysis of the situation will reveal that some of these forces are preventing changes in the customs while other forces are actually working for changes. That is, the customs are really held in a "quasi-stable" equilibrium by a set of opposing forces. The group working to change the customs may do so either by attempting to increase the forces for change or by decreasing the forces against change. However, there is a critical difference between the strategies. If the former is adopted, there will necessarily be an increase in the tension of the situation, with the resulting consequences, while if the latter strategy is successful, the change will occur with a decrease in tension."