Advocates College -- Condensed Corvallis, Oregon Session One March 20, 2012

Janet Byrd and Alison McIntosh Neighborhood Partnerships

Master Narratives

Whenever we engage in public debates we may think of ourselves as conduits of information. However, our audiences think about those same policies, issues, and programs in terms of the background story—

the master narrative

—that lies beneath our bullet-points, facts, statistics, and legal citations.

Dominant

“

stories,

”

cultural models and habits of thinking shape perceptions

We need to change the terrain on which discussions about our issues occurs

Our Stories Create the Possible

“We don’t cultivate the future with shovels or software, the way we might tend other commons. Instead, we cultivate the commons of the future through stories.

The future is, in fact, just a collection of stories that we tell each other. The more and the better stories we tell—and the more people we tell them to—the more we strengthen the commons of the future.”

- Jeremy Adam Smith, Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow Embracing the Future as a Commons

Metaphors, Analogies and Simplifying Models

CITY

I confess to a prejudice. I believe that Cities are the most important single unit of human society.

They are to human beings what beehives are to bees.

Human beings are fundamentally community beings . . . No other level of government has to face so directly the reality of how well or poorly we work as a human community.

We are bound together.

The municipal leader knows it, and sees it.

Pragmatism, Prophecy, and Prayer -The Rev. B. P. Campbell, Virginia Municipal League, Prayer Breakfast, 24 October 2005

Metaphors are cues to the cultural models we all use to make sense of a complex world. We make sense of “new” information by calling up familiar images and experiences for context.

This is “relational” thinking and is central to human cognition.

(Holyoke and Thagard 1997)

Metaphors and Analogies

The dictionary defines a " metaphor " as a figure of speech that uses one thing to mean another and makes a comparison between the two. "All the world's a stage” An analogy expresses similarity between things that might seem different. It can be a logical argument : if two things are alike in some ways, they are alike in some other ways as well. “Having ADD is like wearing a hearing aid on all five senses.”

ARGUMENT IS WAR

• Your claims are indefensible. • He attacked every weak point in my argument.

• His criticisms were right on target. • I demolished his argument.

• I've never won an argument with him.

• You disagree? Okay, shoot! • He shot down all of my arguments.

Lakoff & Johnson 1980

TIME IS MONEY

You're

wasting

my time. This gadget will save you hours. I don't have the time to

give

you. How do you

spend

your time these days? That flat tire cost me an hour. I've

invested

a lot of time in her. I don't have enough time

to spare

for that. You're

running out

of time. You need to

budget

your time. Is that

worth

your while? Do you have much time left?

He's living on

borrowed

time. You don't use your time

profitably

. I

lost

a lot of time when I got sick.

Thank you for

your time.

Lakoff & Johnson 1980

Analogies in Health

Having schizophrenia is like viewing life through a kaleidoscope.

It is hard to put the pieces together and they keep changing. (Wikianswers.com) Having ADD is like wearing a hearing aid on all five senses.

You hear the people talking, the clinking of the glasses and the plates.

(The Holiday Husband: Helping Your ADD Spouse Concentrate on the Season)

Alzheimer's disease is like a cat burglar.

It slips into a person's life without making a sound, and soon treasured possessions start disappearing: memory, personality and independence. (Chris Woolston, CONSUMER

HEALTH INTERACTIVE)

Mechanisms for Understanding

“ . . . people typically rely on analogies in order to learn complex, abstract concepts. These concrete analogies are simplifying models - they help people organize information into a clear picture in their heads, including facts and ideas that they have been exposed to, but never been able to put together in a coherent way . . .

”

- cultural logic

Ozone Depletion

Ozone Depletion like a “Hole in the Roof”

Dedicated to building public support for a government dedicated to the common good and empowered to address the challenges and opportunities of the 21 st Century.

www.publicworkspartners.net

GOVERNMENT

The Good News

• The “idea” of government is not lost • Responsible citizenship is still valued • A desire for collective action, respecting consensus, and problem solving • Stewardship and planning for the future – roles for government

Just Politics “Bi-Partisan”

Steve Benezue

a partisan blowhard spectator sport

Mission and Purpose

Mission & Purpose VALUES

• Common Good • Quality of Life • Community Wellbeing • Public Purpose

ROLE

• Protector • Manager & Planner • Steward • Consensus-Builder

Mindless Bureaucracy

blurry and undefined; only dimly understood

Systems & Structures

• Concrete and vivid

images

• The public systems

we have created

• How they work • Why they are

important

Government as our Public Structures

The main advantages that make America so successful come from the Public Structures it has created. These Public Structures include the

physical

structures (highways, airports, and communications grids) and the

organizational

structures (the postal system, courts) we need to get things done, and the

social

support systems that help to ensure the health and well-being of our communities. It is our well-functioning and supported Public Structures that are essential for overall success.

Rounding Out the Story

Consumer Stance Our Government

What’s in it for me, and what is it going to cost?

Government as Vending Machine Citizen Stance

Citizen Thinking

• Interdependence • Working together • Problem-solving • Everyone has a role

to play

• “Our” Government • The Common Interest

Dominant Stories

Just Politics Bureaucracy Vending Machine

. . .can’t solve anything . . . not my responsibility

New Stories

Mission & Purpose Systems & Structures Citizen-Thinking

. . . our tool for solutions & the common good . . .

Applying the lessons . . .

Talking about the Role of Government in the Economy www.publicworkspartners.net

How does the Public Understand the Economy?

A “Natural Economy”

Based on this latest survey, most Americans believe that the U.S. economy won't reach placid waters for some time. But as they struggle to steer through the rapids , each major group in society increasingly appears to be piling into its own boat. And more and more of us feel as if we are paddling alone.

Paddling Alone On The Economic Rapids Allstate/National Journal Poll - Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009

The Individual Actor Economy Implications:

• A broadly shared model • Moral qualities and personal choices shape economic actions and outcomes

Inequality Happens

Suspicious of Governmental Role

•

Last Resort

•

Creates Dependency

•

Stifles Business

Limited Vision of Government’s Role

•

Policing

the “Bad Actors”

•

Protecting

the “Deserving”

Reactive not Proactive

Limited Vision for Our Role Worker Consumer

What Shapes the Economy? Not just Hard Work Also Policy Choices we make

The Transformation We Need

Default Belief Desired Goal

• The economy is “free” & “natural” – have to adapt.

• Individual character/luck determine outcomes.

• Everyone competes for their own interests.

• The strength of the overall economy – GDP, Stock Market – matters.

• Government’s role is minimal and reactive. • The economy is man-made and intentional.

• Systems & Structures affect outcomes.

• Everyone’s interests are connected and interdependent.

• The economic wellbeing of average people matters.

• Government’s role is fundamental and proactive.

Changing the Economy Story



Purpose

• What is the Economy for? 

Intentionality

• How do we create the

Economy we desire?

Elements of A New Story

• A good economy is one with a vibrant middle class in which opportunity and prosperity are broadly shared.

• A strong middle class is the result of deliberate and proactive policy choices; it does not arise by accident.

• Public structures are the foundation of our economy and the tools for creating opportunity, prosperity and a strong middle class. • The economic well-being of average Americans matters to us all.

An Intentional Middle Class

A strong middle class – the engine that drives our economy – doesn’t arise by accident, but is the result of deliberate and proactive policy choices.

Public Structures as Economic Foundation

The Public Structures (like FDIC, community colleges, Social Security, etc.) created and maintained by government are foundational to prosperity, opportunity and economic stability, as well as the strength of the middle class.

A New View - A New Role Citizen Managers:

we shape the economy we need and desire

The foundation of our economy rests on the health and stability of our public systems and structures . Economic activity depends on our transportation systems, energy and communications grids and it is supported by the courts, the postal system and our educational institutions. Business activity and private enterprise would be impossible without these essential public functions.

America’s strong investments in public structures in the past have been the keys to building our economy, creating jobs and paving the way for innovation.

The Triumphant Individual The Benevolent Community

“Self-Made Man” – Irene Ritter

Independence

Dave Kolpack / AP

Interdependence

Core Beliefs about Poverty

• Each individual is responsible for his or her own success or failure; • With hard work comes reward; • The goal is equal opportunity, not equal outcome; and • Anyone can achieve the “American Dream”.

Source: Meg Bostrom, For an Economy that Works for All

Dominant Frames

• • • • • • • Self-determination/Self discipline Rugged individualism Benefits based solely on effort Limited obligation to collective good Neutrality of major social institutions Voluntary and moral nature of behavior Limited government intervention

The Rockridge Institute

Dominant Frames are Constantly Reinforced There comes a time when compassion can cause disaster . If you open your home to scores of homeless folks , you will not have a home for long. There is a capacity problem for every noble intent.

America remains the land of opportunity, but you have to work for it . The unemployment rate for college graduates is 5%. For high school drop-outs, it is 16%. Personal responsibility is usually the driving force behind success . But there are millions of Americans who are not responsible, and the cold truth is that the rest of us cannot afford to support them.

Every fair-minded person should support government safety nets for people who need assistance through no fault of their own . But guys like McDermott don't make distinctions like that. For them, the baby Jesus wants us to "provide," no matter what the circumstance. But being a Christian, I know that while Jesus promoted charity at the highest level, he was not self destructive.

The Lord helps those who help themselves . Does he not?

- Bill O’Reilly, December 9, 2010

Some Public Beliefs work for us . . .

• Hard work should be valued and rewarded • Working people are struggling • The country needs to act to impact the economy • People tend to judge the economy based on their perceptions of how they and people like them are doing.

• We can all work together to find solutions

Social Justice Frames

• • • • • • • Shared responsibility Strong obligation to collective good Unequal starting positions require remedy Focus on social conditions Basic benefits should be assured Community well-being supersedes individual well-being Government involvement necessary

The Rockridge Institute

Anat Shenker-Osorio Inequality is a Barrier, not a Gap

Inequality as a “Barrier”

• • • Blocks people from getting resources Holds people back Sets in place obstacles for: • “access to resources”, “access to opportunities”, “participating fully in the economy”

Avoid inequality as gap and inequality as top/bottom: these work against helping people see the sources of unequal outcomes and building the will to address effects

Inequality as Vertigo

Inequality as Vertigo

“An economy that has gotten off-kilter” “Excessive inequality leads to instability”

• It implies there’s an economic system that can be externally

swayed

or put off its axis • It’s tangible and part of lived experience, we’ve all lost our balance

“. . . A talent for speaking differently, rather than for arguing well, is the chief instrument of cultural change . . .”

- Richard Rorty

Applying the lessons . . .

Message Development

• What’s wrong? – We have disinvested in our children by not funding physical education. • Why does it matter

?

– This endangers the health of the next generation. – We have a responsibility to provide children a fair chance to be strong and successful. • What should be done? 1) Physical education must be part of an overall healthy education.

2) The legislature must provide adequate funds for complete education.

Message Development

• What’s wrong? – Public support for asset accumulation is most effective for those with higher incomes. • Why does it matter? – – Assets allow us to build the future for the next generation. Assets provide a cushion against the crises of life and support the success of families and communities. • What should be done? 1) Asset building programs that reach households with lower incomes should be supported, like IDAs.

2) Homeownership should be a policy priority – prevent foreclosures and support strong homeownership options. we must

Message Development

• What’s wrong? – We have left the food industry to determine the diet and health of our children. • Why does it matter? – – This endangers the health of the next generation. We have a responsibility to provide children a fair chance to be strong and successful. • What should be done? 1) Limit availability of fast food outlets.

2) Increase the availability of affordable, nutritious foods.