Social development occurs slowly over time. It is mostly an unconscious
phenomenon that occurs on an irregular basis, with zigs and zags, with forward motions and
setbacks. On the other hand, if one were to discover the process of how social development
occurs, and utilize this process in developing policies, strategies, and action plans for
society, we could eliminate the irregularities and meanderings of social development,
eliminate the negatives that block its path, and more positively control its ever
accelerating course.
Defining Development
First let's be clear about what we actually mean by "development."
Development can be distinguished from a closely related term, "growth." Just
like development, growth is a form of progress, yet development is of a higher order.
Think of growth as an expansion of more of the same, whereas development is an
expansion at a higher level. Whereas growth is an expansion at the current level,
development is an expansion at a new, unprecedented level. For example, in business we
might think of growth as a duplication of a retail store model into dozens of franchise
operations; whereas development was the actual development of the franchise concept in the
first place. Development is more of a movement to a higher qualitative level,
whereas growth is a quantitative movement.
In the broadest sense development can be defined as an
upward directional movement of society from lesser to greater levels of energy,
efficiency, quality, productivity, complexity, comprehension, creativity, enjoyment and
accomplishment.
Making Development Conscious
As we mentioned earlier development is a mostly unconscious movement that
happens on its own. However, if we were able to understand the process, make it conscious
in our minds, and act from this awareness we can dramatically accelerate development, and
pave the way for society's progress. In other words, the more conscious we are of the
process, the greater the possibility for rapid, obstacle-free progress. (By the way we
have discovered along the way that whenever any initiative in life, whether personal or
social begins with a conscious awareness of an underlying process, it
dramatically increases the likelihood of successful outcomes.)
Three Stages of Development
Our research on the process of development over the last thirty years suggest
that there are three essential stages in the process of development. In the first
stage the society is prepared to move to a higher level of development through its surplus
energies, awareness of possibilities, and its aspiration to see the possibilities through.
In the second stage pioneer individuals in society express the aspiration in
various ways. Finally, in the third stage the initiative of pioneering
individuals are accepted, organized, and integrated in society.
Let's then understand each of these three phases in greater
detail.
Stage 1: Social Preparedness
Energy
One way a society can be measured is by its level of energy. A society can
grow so long as it has the energy to do so. However it can't begin
to develop until it has a surplus of energy. Surplus
energy is available only when the society is not fully absorbed in meeting the challenges
of existence at the current level, and has a surplus of energy to move to another level.
An example of this in history would be cultures that have developed their agriculture to
the point where they are ready to explore trading opportunities with others, or move
toward industrialization. New ideas and technology are also symptomatic of surplus energy,
as are companies and other organizations that are expanding very rapidly (such as those in
Silicon Valley).
Awareness
The surplus energy expresses initially in society as
increasing thought and discussion about new possibilities, an urge for innovation and
improvement, and growing dissatisfaction with the status quo. Most importantly it
expresses through society's awareness of new opportunities and challenges.
The speed and reliability of information in recent years
is accelerating society's awareness of possibilities. Whether it be the world's 60,000
newspapers or Gorbachev's policy of glasnost at the end of the Cold War (i.e. openness to
new ideas), the importance of the awareness of possibilities is the driving force that can
turn the surplus energy in society into a new reality for development.
Aspiration
Surplus energy provides the fuel for progress and society's awareness of
possibilities sets the direction for progress. Still the society needs to react to these
possibilities -- i.e. it needs to have an aspiration to really want to see these
possibilities come about. Just as an individual who wants to achieve something needs to
have an aspiration when presented with possibilities and opportunities, so society needs
to have an aspiration for achieving the possibilities and opportunities if development is
ever to actually occur.
Aspiration to go to a higher level can be retarded by some
factors and increased by others. For example, societies that feel superior, or self
satisfied are less likely to want to move to the next higher level. Societies may also not
have an aspiration to move forward because they think it's beyond their means and
capabilities.
If feelings of superiority or inadequacy prevent or dull
aspiration for a society, other societal attitudes can increase aspiration. For one,
social pressure from others or the outside can be a great spur to aspiration. A classic
example of the former is the farmer who will only dig a well only after he sees that
others around him have already done so. An example of the latter is a country that is
forced to change by the sheer influence of another as in the case of the reaction of
Americans who in the 1980s saw the Japanese begin to move ahead in major industrial areas.
In summary then we can say that surplus
energy, awareness of opportunities, and aspiration for advancement are pre-conditions that
prepare society for new development initiatives. Though this is not exactly a linear
process and these factors may tend to spiral back on one other, they are the required
conditions that need to be in place so that there is the necessary social preparedness for
development.
Stage 2: Initiation -- Role of Pioneer Individuals
Though the society may be prepared for its
ascent to a higher level of development, there still needs to be some agent to express
this in action. That is the role of pioneering individuals. They are people who are
willing to break out from the existing mold and try something new. Through their conscious
action, they express some aspect of the aspirations that the society is only partially or
subconsciously aware of.
The pioneer is usually not a radical, outcast, or piranha
in society, but rather shares its aspirations, knowledge and values to a large degree.
Whether it be the two young men who helped start Apple Computer in a garage, setting the
stage for a whole new level of technology, or the one farmer among others who dares to
accept a loan to dig water wells in rural India when others are afraid to be the first
ones, the pioneer breaks with the mold, yet stands within, not outside of the social
environment, charting a new course or revealing a new possibility.
Next the society needs to have a positive response to the
pioneer's initiative. If the pioneer is too far ahead of his time, society will often act
negatively or with indifference.) On the other hand, if the pioneer's initiative is in
tune with society's aspiration and preparedness, it inspires others to take up the same or
newer initiatives. Then the pioneer's initiatives get multiplied throughout society,
unleashing a movement of development. For example, if other like-minded farmers in rural
India take up the pioneer's acceptance of loans to dig water wells, development begins to
ripple through the village and community. When other hackers saw Apple Computers
first personal computers demonstrated at the Homebrew computer club, they were inspired to
follow, developing related or even new technologies as a result.
For those involved in their occupation in social
development (economists, educators, politicians, planners, etc.), knowing how to create
the appropriate conditions for unleashing the multiplier effect off of the pioneer
individual's initiative is essential for formulating effective planned development
strategies.
Stage 3: Acceptance and Assimilation
Finally, the initiatives of the pioneer needs to become
fully accepted and organized by society as a whole.
Acceptance Through New Forms of Organization
Acceptance begins when the pioneer's initiative is incorporated within
existing or new organizational structures in society. Society normally organizes life by
laws, regulations, systems, and accepted sets of practices. What is particularly
interesting is that the pioneer's initiative which creates the spark for development actually leads to the emergence of a host of new, more complex
organizations designed to support it and puts pressure on existing organizations to
elevate their functioning to meet the higher demands of the new phase.
For example, in the last fifty years we have seen a
number of pioneering initiatives in society that were then matched by new organizational
structures, such as franchising, credit rating, credit card, ATM banking services, and
many others. Now with the advent of the Internet whole new organizational structures
are being developed to support the initiatives of those who originally brought the
Internet into the public consciousness, including ways to register web site domains, new
types of contracts and relationships with service providers, new forms of business to
business commerce, and endless others.
Lack of Organization
Often there are instances where a pioneer's initiative is not matched by new
organizational structures, causing development to fail. When the countries of Eastern
Europe began the transition from centrally planned to market economies, they lacked a very
wide range of supporting structures and practices needed for a market system to operate
effectively. Russia in particular has suffered from this problem. In Russia's case not
only weren't there any new organizational structures to help it in its transition, but too
many of the old ones that were essential for a stable transition to the free market system
were dismantled, leading to an arid environment for the sprouting of a market-driven
economy.
Education
One form of organization for the undertaking's of society that is nearly
universally acknowledge is education. When the society is really serious about supporting
the new development it begins to provide formal education in areas related to the initiative. For example, we have seen a tremendous amount of formal education and
training in recent years in the areas of personal computing and the Internet.
Institutionalized
At a further stage, the society accepts and assimilates the new undertakings to such
a degree that it no longer requires the support of specialized organizations, policies or
laws to promote it. The activity becomes a part of the normal way the society functions;
i.e. it becomes a way of life. It matures from organization to institutionalization
Cultural Transmission by Family
At an even more advanced stage in the maturation of a new social activity, the
family assumes an active role in its propagation. Once a new activity has been
accepted as desirable by wide sections of the population, families assume an increasing
role in equipping the next generation with knowledge, skills and attitudes supportive of
the activity. When an activity has matured to the point that family plays a very active
role in its transmission, the activity has become a part of the culture of the society.
Here then is a table showing the stages and substages of
the Process of Development:
Stage
1: Social Preparedness
Surplus of Energy at Current Level
Awareness of Possibilities
Aspiration To Go To Next Level |
| Stage 2:
Initiation -- Role of the Pioneer Pioneer's
Initiative
Acceptance by Society
Multiplied by Others' Initiatives |
| Stage 3:
Acceptance and Assimilation New
Forms of Organization
Institutionalization (e.g. education)
Cultural Transmission by Family |
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Review a paper
describing the
(above described) evolution and process of social development as it relates to the process
of development of individuals in the society. (MSS)
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To read an
interview on how we can learn to create infinite accomplishment,
success, and joy for ourselves, our businesses, for society by
following growth and development processes that mirror the process by
which the universe was created from the One, click here.
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