to empower people

8/17/2019 To Empower People

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/to-empower-people 1/27

To Empower People: From StateTo Empower People: From State

to Civil Societyto Civil Society

Peter L. Berger and Richard John Peter L. Berger and Richard John

Neuhaus Neuhaus



Central ProblemCentral Problem

Desire for government servicesDesire for government services

Strong dislike of government and bureaucracyStrong dislike of government and bureaucracy



Societal ConceptionsSocietal Conceptions

MegastructuresMegastructures

Private ifePrivate ife

Mediating StructuresMediating Structures



E!amples of MegastructuresE!amples of Megastructures

T"e StateT"e State

Corporations# $ig $usinessCorporations# $ig $usiness

Educational $ureaucracyEducational $ureaucracy %rgani&ed Professions%rgani&ed Professions



Problems wit" t"e MegastructuresProblems wit" t"e Megastructures

'lienating to individuals('lienating to individuals(

)ot "elpful in providing meaning# fulfillment# )ot "elpful in providing meaning# fulfillment#

or identity to t"e individual(or identity to t"e individual(

*iewed as unreal or malignant*iewed as unreal or malignant



Problems wit" Private ifeProblems wit" Private ife

+solating+solating

Cannot be relied upon , unstableCannot be relied upon , unstable



E!amples of Mediating StructuresE!amples of Mediating Structures

)eig"bor"ood )eig"bor"ood

FamilyFamily

C"urc"C"urc" *oluntary 'ssociation*oluntary 'ssociation



*alue of Mediating Structures*alue of Mediating Structures

$ridge gap between private life and$ridge gap between private life and

megastructuresmegastructures

-ive stability to private life-ive stability to private life

Provide meaning and value to megastructures.Provide meaning and value to megastructures.

+f meaning is lost# democracy suffers(+f meaning is lost# democracy suffers(

Provide moral basis to political order# so orderProvide moral basis to political order# so order

is secured t"roug" consent not coercionis secured t"roug" consent not coercion



iberalismiberalism

Tends to be blind to t"e functions of mediatingTends to be blind to t"e functions of mediating

structuresstructures

-reater concern for t"e individual and a /ust-reater concern for t"e individual and a /ust

public order public order

Defends private rig"tsDefends private rig"ts from from t"e mediatingt"e mediating

structures 0"ostile to t"e idea t"at religion "asstructures 0"ostile to t"e idea t"at religion "as

public rig"ts and public functions1 public rig"ts and public functions1



ConservatismConservatism

2eld mediating structures in "ig" regard2eld mediating structures in "ig" regard

before t"e 34t" century before t"e 34t" century

)ow "as a tendency to revoke modernity )ow "as a tendency to revoke modernity

Sensitive to t"e alienations of big government#Sensitive to t"e alienations of big government#

but blind to t"e same effects of big business but blind to t"e same effects of big business



Proposition 3Proposition 3

Mediating structures are essential for a vitalMediating structures are essential for a vitaldemocracydemocracy +f mediating structures didn5t generate and+f mediating structures didn5t generate and

maintain values# t"e State would( 6"en values aremaintain values# t"e State would( 6"en values aredetermined top7down# t"e government isdetermined top7down# t"e government is

aut"oritarian# not democratic(aut"oritarian# not democratic(




Public policy s"ould protect and fosterPublic policy s"ould protect and foster

mediating structures(mediating structures(




Public policy s"ould utili&e mediatingPublic policy s"ould utili&e mediating

structures for t"e reali&ation of socialstructures for t"e reali&ation of social

purposes( purposes( isk of government cooption of mediatingisk of government cooption of mediating

structuresstructures

-oal is to e!pand government services wit"out-oal is to e!pand government services wit"outincreasing government oppressivenessincreasing government oppressiveness



EmpowermentEmpowerment

Feeling of powerlessness caused by facelessFeeling of powerlessness caused by facelesscontrolling institutions wit" different valuescontrolling institutions wit" different values

t"an t"e individualt"an t"e individual Easier for t"e affluent to resist t"eEasier for t"e affluent to resist t"e

encroac"ment of t"e megastructuresencroac"ment of t"e megastructures

Policy based on t"e mediating structures aimsPolicy based on t"e mediating structures aimsto empower poor people to do t"e t"ings t"eto empower poor people to do t"e t"ings t"emore affluent can already domore affluent can already do



NeighborhoodNeighborhood



-ood )eig"bor"oods-ood )eig"bor"oods

SafeSafe

SanitarySanitary

C"osen freelyC"osen freely

2ave varying degrees of social co"esion(2ave varying degrees of social co"esion(



$ad )eig"bor"oods$ad )eig"bor"oods

$ad neig"bor"oods can be:$ad neig"bor"oods can be:

+gnored+gnored

Dismantled and redistributedDismantled and redistributed T"reatening to non7poor T"reatening to non7poor

Doesn5t make poor less poor# /ust moves t"em aroundDoesn5t make poor less poor# /ust moves t"em around

May make t"e poor feel worse# since t"eir poverty willMay make t"e poor feel worse# since t"eir poverty will

s"ow in starker contrast by new pro!imity to non7poor s"ow in starker contrast by new pro!imity to non7poor

TransformedTransformed



Policy -oalsPolicy -oals

Sustain diversity of neig"bor"oods(Sustain diversity of neig"bor"oods(

Counter destruction of neig"bor"oods causedCounter destruction of neig"bor"oods caused

by court /udgments t"at treat all communities by court /udgments t"at treat all communities

alikealike



C"allengesC"allenges

)eig"bor"oods empowered to impose t"eir )eig"bor"oods empowered to impose t"eir

values on individuals can be coercive and cruelvalues on individuals can be coercive and cruel -overnment intervention necessary to protect-overnment intervention necessary to protect

elementary "uman rig"ts 0race1(elementary "uman rig"ts 0race1(

Conflict between individual and communalConflict between individual and communalrig"ts due to t"e un/ust e!tension of policiesrig"ts due to t"e un/ust e!tension of policiesderiving from racial dilemma(deriving from racial dilemma(



acism as community c"aracteristicacism as community c"aracteristic

Focus public policy on neig"bor"ood7definedFocus public policy on neig"bor"ood7definedneig"bor"ood development to bring up poorneig"bor"ood development to bring up poorcommunities(communities( 's t"ey ac"ieve middle class goals# racism will be reduced's t"ey ac"ieve middle class goals# racism will be reduced

or separated from ot"er discrimination and will be moreor separated from ot"er discrimination and will be moreeasily prosecuted(easily prosecuted(

'c"ievement of individuals doesn5t necessarily mean'c"ievement of individuals doesn5t necessarily mean

t"ey5ll move out of poor neig"bor"oods(t"ey5ll move out of poor neig"bor"oods( Media# c"urc"es# sc"ools# government# etc( must continueMedia# c"urc"es# sc"ools# government# etc( must continue

and intensify efforts to educate against racial bias(and intensify efforts to educate against racial bias(



Specific ecommendationsSpecific ecommendations

eturn ta! money in non7categorical ways to be spent as neig"bor"oodseturn ta! money in non7categorical ways to be spent as neig"bor"oodsdeem necessarydeem necessary

Since we can5t force private financial institutions to make money availableSince we can5t force private financial institutions to make money availableto poor neig"bor"oods#to poor neig"bor"oods# 6e need a new version of t"e Federal 2ousing 'dministration6e need a new version of t"e Federal 2ousing 'dministration Property ta! regulations s"ould be c"anged to encourage "ome improvement(Property ta! regulations s"ould be c"anged to encourage "ome improvement(

Strengt"en neig"bor"oods by giving t"em more responsibility for lawStrengt"en neig"bor"oods by giving t"em more responsibility for lawenforcement(enforcement( Funding for part7time employment of parents to police sc"ools and publicFunding for part7time employment of parents to police sc"ools and public

places( places(

%pen up unused airwaves to regional# et"nic# and elective groups to fig"t%pen up unused airwaves to regional# et"nic# and elective groups to fig"tmedia "omogeni&ationmedia "omogeni&ation

Ta!ation policies and postal regulations s"ould support neig"bor"oodTa!ation policies and postal regulations s"ould support neig"bor"oodnewspapersnewspapers



FamilyFamily



edefined# but not in declineedefined# but not in decline

2ig" divorce rate# but also "ig" remarriage2ig" divorce rate# but also "ig" remarriage

raterate

+ncludes foster parents# lesbian and gay+ncludes foster parents# lesbian and gay

parents# etc( parents# etc(



Policy -oal 3Policy -oal 3

ecogni&e family as an institutionecogni&e family as an institution Society "as a vested interest in "ow values areSociety "as a vested interest in "ow values are

transmitted to t"e ne!t generation(transmitted to t"e ne!t generation( 6eak families produce uprooted individuals#6eak families produce uprooted individuals#

w"ic" make for ideal recruits for aut"oritarianw"ic" make for ideal recruits for aut"oritarian

movements(movements(




%ppose policies t"at e!pose t"e c"ild directly%ppose policies t"at e!pose t"e c"ild directly

to state aut"ority wit"out t"e mediation of t"eto state aut"ority wit"out t"e mediation of t"e

familyfamily E!perts "ave relevant and "elpful e!pertiseE!perts "ave relevant and "elpful e!pertise

E!perts do not love or "ave long7term open endedE!perts do not love or "ave long7term open ended

commitment to individual c"ildrencommitment to individual c"ildren




estore some control of education andestore some control of education and

economics t"at "as been stripped away byeconomics t"at "as been stripped away by

moderni&ationmoderni&ation



EducationEducation

State "as a coercive monopoly on education(State "as a coercive monopoly on education( ow7income parents "ave t"e least say about w"atow7income parents "ave t"e least say about w"at

"appens to t"eir kids in sc"ool("appens to t"eir kids in sc"ool( Personnel of t"e education establis"ment are upperPersonnel of t"e education establis"ment are upper

middle class(middle class( T"ey teac" t"eir upper middle class values(T"ey teac" t"eir upper middle class values(

Disparage t"e ways of life of t"e poor Disparage t"e ways of life of t"e poor Teac" contempt for t"e parents and self7contempt(Teac" contempt for t"e parents and self7contempt(

$est way to break up t"e monopoly is to allow c"oice$est way to break up t"e monopoly is to allow c"oice

to empower people

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