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How to Think About Social Problems American Pragmatism and the Idea of Planning
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Hilda Blanco
Book Code: BLK/
ISBN: 0-313-27775-3
ISBN-13: 978-0-313-27775-7
240 pages, figures
Greenwood Press
Publication: 10/30/1994
List Price: $126.95 (UK Sterling Price: £70.00)
Availability: Print on demand
Media Type: Hardcover
Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
Subjects:
Series Title: Contributions in Political Science
Series Number: 346
Description: This thoughtful study has a two-fold purpose. The first is to examine the close relationship between the philosophy of American pragmatism and the idea of planning, and the second is to explore how to approach or think about recalcitrant social problems. Contemporary society's primary response to the issue of social problems is to turn to professional expertise. No sooner is a problem identified than a profession emerges to claim it. But intractable social problems, such as poverty or racism, show the limits of professional social inquiry. Is it the method of inquiry that is at fault, or does the failure lie in a simplistic and narrow view of reason? In exploring these questions, the author turns to the pragmatic philosophy of Charles Pierce and John Dewey to develop a coherent approach to such problems. She concludes that the lasting and meaningful changes needed to address the major problems we face today call for the cultivation of a culture of democratic planning that values inclusive communities, social and environmental justice, and public, practical knowledge.
Table of Contents:
  • Preface
  • Introduction
  • Pragmatism, Planning, and Social Problems
  • The Philosophical Foundations of Planning in Pragmatism
  • Planning and Pragmatism's Common Focus, Action Orientation, and Their Link to Science
  • The Epistemology of Pragmatism and Planning
  • Pragmatism's Social Theory and Its Relation to Planning
  • The Challenge Intractable Problems Pose to Knowledge, Democracy, and Community
  • The Evolution of Methods to Address Social Problems
  • The Role of the Planner in Society
  • Interpreting Planning Issues Through Pragmatism
  • A Pragmatic Interpretation of the Rational Model
  • Reformulating the Knowledge Project
  • How to Think about Social Problems
  • References
LC Card Number: 94-876
LCC Class: HN18
Dewey Class: 361.1
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