Benefit for Society 2: Cohesion

Well-Being Set

■ Cohesion is valued above Production

Kinship-centredness provides continuing nurture and initial socialization of members of society. This should lead to tight bonding and intense love, loyalty and devotion.

Work is valued for providing a standard of living, but raising that standard comes second if work distracts from family life or disturbs family priorities. Protection and preservation of the family unit and family assets takes precedence over society’s needs for productivity.

Power-centredness demands a power-based system of law and order as a control within society: government lends itself to this task. Cohesion can be problematic because powerful groups or ambitious individuals may choose to escalate pressure and even generate social turmoil.

View of Work

Social goods are accumulated in a self-aggrandizing way, but there is a distrust of the effort involved in production. Manipulation and exploitation of others, or the system, is a preferred means of self-support. Being parasitical, limits are reached or the resource is destroyed and there is a need for new victims (e.g. new employees, new sources of taxation).

Community-centredness directly strives to strengthen cohesion. It supports democratic methods and social programs to reduce injustices, and ameliorate suffering. It deplores envy and greed.

View of Work

Community-centred individuals seek re-distribution and affirmative action. They want fair access to social goods, both abstract like respect and tangible like money. However, not much thought is given to costs or productivity issues or corrupt elements.

Reality-centredness provides for integration and unification through its emphasis on spiritual forces, and appeals to ultimate values like peace, liberty, harmony, justice—which are the most powerful of all cohesive forces. It can generate a worthwhile vision adapted to current social forces that is relatively resistant to hijacking by special interests.

View of Work

The complexity of society is recognized, including the importance of a market-based economy in which everyone can be productive. Work on society itself is important, so politics and government need to mature. Social goods, especially markets, need to be actively protected; and other goods may need strategic development, regulation or re-allocation.

Moving up the well-being diagonal, effectiveness increases.

Kinship-centred people see cohesion as a family matter and are ready to disrupt society for family values.

Power-centred people broaden that focus but believe in authoritarian means.

Community-centred people deepen cohesion still further by activating inner obligations and group dependence.

Reality-centred people can go even further and are capable of activating the deepest urges to tolerate, include and unify.

Productivity Set

■ Production is valued above Cohesion

On the productivity diagonal, disruption of society is unavoidable.

Market-centred individuals compete vigorously and this generates losers and inequalities.
Cause-centred individuals advocate sectional benefits or address controversial issues and therefore antagonize some people and polarize groups.
Perspective-centred individuals entertain and explain views, values and ideas that are intrinsically capable of disturbing and alienating many in society.

See the requirements for success.

Originally posted: July 2009