How Institutions Think

1. How Institutions Think Presentation by: Kristin Redmond Janet Hauge

2. Mary Douglas • Born in 1921 • Educated at Oxford University as anthropologist • Fieldwork in the Belgian Congo • Affiliated with: • Northwestern Univ. • Princeton Univ. • Yale Univ. • University of Pennsylvania

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

4. Emile Durkheim • French 1858-1917 • Educated in Philosophy • Views of Functionalist Society • Studies were based on primitive cultures • His beliefs were: the role of society was more important than the individual • Religion explained the unknown • His theories were not well received

5. Ludwik Fleck • Polish 1896-1961 • Studies based on Durkheim’s theories • Trained as a medical doctor • Widely renowned for his sociologically-oriented approach to the study of science and medical knowledge

6. 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” (Webster’s College Dictionary, 1983)

7. ‘Thought Collective’ • “The 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

8. Institutions • Legitimized social groupings- family, games, ceremony • Social institutions make decisions, solve problems and think on behalf of individuals • Institutions organize and classify information

9. Right and Wrong • Institutions 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.

10. Institutions Remember... • Anthropologists are intrigued with remembering • We remember what is politically correct • The institution manipulates what it wants us to remember • Studies of primitive cultures reveal people have great memories. It is attributed to their “simple” existence.

11. And Forget… • Scientists forget previous discoveries and continually rediscover past scientists works • When they do not fit prevailing political views

12. The Imperial Palace • An example of memory being manipulated by institutional structures • Preserving gives legitimacy to current political authority– locally and globally • Remembering signifies “heavenly mandate” for the emperor to rule extends to current authority • Forgetting aspects of moral, political, financial decline

13. Does Size Matter? • Many studies relating to institutional scale • Small scale societies vs large scale • Originally thought that the size of the institution affected the behavior of the individual • Where the ratio of population to resources is proportional, individuals in large or small scale societies behave similarly

14. Small scale Fewer changes Simpler public memory Large scale Rapid changes Complex public memory Institutions: Small and LargeAmish Society “English” Society However, both have similaraccuracy of their collective memories.

15. How Institutions Think “In 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’” Similarly said…

16. Our government • Citizens run government, yet the government creates the laws and enforces them. • As an individual you don’t have much influence or impact over the institution

17. Classification at the most basic… • A 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:cry • Good:content • Good/bad is the most fundamental classification.

18. Colin 2 parent family Minimal caregivers Regular routines Baby at Angel’s Wings (emergency foster care) Removed from family Changing caregivers Minimal routine Classifying is institutionalized

19. Wine classification • France – wine is categorized by region and chateau • California – wine is classified by the grape Although both systems work to classify wine the systems cannot be compared.

20. Self-fulfilling prophecy • Institutional classifying produces labels which allow us to classify. • Once a label is determined, the category gets filled up. • Autism • Preschool handicap class

21. Book Reviews and Impact • Web of Science - cited 30+ times • EBSCO – 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)

22. Our Critique • Very confusing, a difficult read • Jumped back and forth, covered many different peoples’ viewpoints • Her viewpoints are unclear • Could have been illustrated with more relative examples (such as the wine)

23. The people we meet… • At 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?

24. Other things to consider… • How 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?