Texts:1976 From Problems to Predicaments: Difference between revisions
Created page with "__NOTITLE__ {{Setup|tick=Texts}} <div class="cent"> <h1>From Problems to Predicaments</h1> <h3>Reflections on American Social Policy</h3> <blockquote>Draft written while sepcial assistant to the Secretary of HEW, 1976.</blockquote> </div><div class="nums"> <p>American social problems persist, despite long-term efforts to act upon them, despite the expenditure of vast sums to control them. The persistence of social problems suggests that our modes of social action..." |
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<p>This paradigmatic concern for particular problems defined in ways that will be conducive to practical action, becomes even clearer in the statements of objectives included for each program. Curiously, despite the diversity of concerns covered in the <i>Catalog</i>, the statement of objectives for each program has an identical grammatical format, each begins with an infinitive, the objective of every program is to do certain particular things. Consider a few: | <p>This paradigmatic concern for particular problems defined in ways that will be conducive to practical action, becomes even clearer in the statements of objectives included for each program. Curiously, despite the diversity of concerns covered in the <i>Catalog</i>, the statement of objectives for each program has an identical grammatical format, each begins with an infinitive, the objective of every program is to do certain particular things. Consider a few: | ||
10.052: "To attract the cotton production that is needed to meet domestic and foreign demand for fiber; and to protect income for farmers.." 15.403: "To dispose of surplus Federal real property for public park and recreation use and for historic monument use." | :10.052: "To attract the cotton production that is needed to meet domestic and foreign demand for fiber; and to protect income for farmers.." 15.403: "To dispose of surplus Federal real property for public park and recreation use and for historic monument use." | ||
16.005: "To furnish advisory services and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies and schools desiring to establish drug abuse prevention policy guidelines for school-police cooperation. | :16.005: "To furnish advisory services and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies and schools desiring to establish drug abuse prevention policy guidelines for school-police cooperation. | ||
20.001: "To improve safe operations and uses of water craft." | :20.001: "To improve safe operations and uses of water craft." | ||
27.004: "To give disadvantaged young people, ages 16 through 21, meaningful summer employment with the Federal Government." | :27.004: "To give disadvantaged young people, ages 16 through 21, meaningful summer employment with the Federal Government." | ||
30.005: "To assist individuals who have obtained the right to sue in contacting members of the private bar."</p> | :30.005: "To assist individuals who have obtained the right to sue in contacting members of the private bar."</p> | ||
<p>Once a problem has been isolated and defined in a way conducive to action on it, the pragmatic paradigm requires that a program of action, dealing specifically with the problem be developed. With Federal domestic assistance, this happens in a two-step process: the government seeks to underwrite programmatic action along defined lines and invites those eligible to implement the program by recourse to assistance. Thus, the <i>Catalog</i> reflects how guidelines for the creation of each program have been created officially through enabling legislation and subsequent regulations, the gist of which is spelled out for each program, particularly in sections on "Uses and Use Restrictions." The significant point here is that this process further narrows the definition of each particular problem as acceptable modes of action on it are operationalized. Through the creation of guidelines, the government in effect states, not only that definite action on a particular problem is socially desirable, but that, in the judgment of those responsible for the creation and administration of the program, action on it should proceed along certain carefully specified lines. These lines are codified by use restrictions and eligibility requirements, which, one must grant, are generally well-conceived, given each program's particular objectives.</p> | <p>Once a problem has been isolated and defined in a way conducive to action on it, the pragmatic paradigm requires that a program of action, dealing specifically with the problem be developed. With Federal domestic assistance, this happens in a two-step process: the government seeks to underwrite programmatic action along defined lines and invites those eligible to implement the program by recourse to assistance. Thus, the <i>Catalog</i> reflects how guidelines for the creation of each program have been created officially through enabling legislation and subsequent regulations, the gist of which is spelled out for each program, particularly in sections on "Uses and Use Restrictions." The significant point here is that this process further narrows the definition of each particular problem as acceptable modes of action on it are operationalized. Through the creation of guidelines, the government in effect states, not only that definite action on a particular problem is socially desirable, but that, in the judgment of those responsible for the creation and administration of the program, action on it should proceed along certain carefully specified lines. These lines are codified by use restrictions and eligibility requirements, which, one must grant, are generally well-conceived, given each program's particular objectives.</p> | ||