Three Social Paradigms

INTRODUCTION: As anyone can tell from American political campaigns “ Liberals” and “Conservatives” regularly engage in the “blame game”. As a result, says Taylor, nothing different happens. Nothing occurs to change social conditions for the better. As an alternative Taylor recommends paying attention to something else that is going on that offers hope, called the “Generative Orientation”.

This Assignment offers the student three models by which to better understand the “paradigms” (or “world views”) of three perspectives, or attitudes, about how things can work, should work, or might work regarding social conditions and their betterment.

These three world views are the Liberal, Conservative and Generative Orientation models. The challenge to the student is to use the paradigms to examine her/his own “framework” of social values.

GOAL OF THIS ASSIGNMENT: The student will demonstrate his ability to delineate the three social/political views of Liberals, Conservatives and the Generative Orientation , to apply his understanding to current events and to analyze his own views using the template of the Three Paradigms. Short Answer Quiz.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Read Chapter Nine, “Expanding the Political Debate”, pp 177-214. (Roll Away The Stone)

Then answer the following questions and submit through ASSIGNMENTS. COPY THE QUESTION FIRST, THEN WRITE YOUR ANSWER:

….1. What does Taylor mean by “breakthrough thinking?”

….2. How does Taylor define a “world view”? (Compare to Kuhn’s definition)

….3. What does Taylor mean by a “paradigm shift”?

…4. How does Taylor describe the current political debate? What are its limits?

…5. Describe the Liberal world view.

…6. Describe the Conservative world view

…7. What do the Liberal and Conservative world views have in common?

….8. Describe the Generative Orientation world view. How does it differ from the Liberal and Conservative world views?

….9. What would a shift to the Generative Orientation world view look like?

…10. Where, if any place, do you see evidence of the Generative Orientation world view at work (1)in the challenges faced by FLOC; and (2)in the current world situation; and (3)in your own life and experience?