A
while ago, I suggested that a good exercise or project for high
school students was to identify those individuals in their
communities who held power. I went on to suggest a method to do this
and an initial inquiry into where these individuals worked and lived.
I cautioned that students not be too aggressive in finding this
information and that they should depend on publicly available
sources. The main idea of this second phase of the project was to
look into how much these powerful people actually mix with other
segments of the community, especially with those who are lacking in
advantages – the poorer segment of the local population. In this
posting, I want to suggest a further step in this inquiry: devising
questions that could be used in interviewing the powerful.
Again,
this methodology is suggested by an old study: Community Power
Structure: A Study of Decision Makers by Floyd Hunter.1
The next apparent step in Hunter's study was to formulate questions
that would be part of a survey to be administered to the forty
identified powerful members of the community he called Regional City.
Hunter's account of the interviews does not contain the
questionnaire, but from the type of information the study reveals, I
have devised a set of questions – at least initial questions –
that seem to have been asked of these people. I will list these
questions in no particular order, but I will advise any teacher who
wants to pursue this type of assignment that the overall aims are to
see how the individuals saw their good fortune, how their success
reflects a system that provides equal opportunity, how the
individuals are using their good fortune to promote equal
opportunities for other members of the community, what kinds of
experiences – particularly reflecting their own efforts – seem to
aid one in becoming powerful, and how conscious the powerful are of
how dependent they are on communal resources to advance their
careers.
Of
course, the tone of the interview should be complimentary of these
individuals' positions and accomplishments. It should avoid in any
way reflecting jealousy, rancor, an accusatory tone, or negativity.
I would suggest the general approach can be to communicate a purpose
for the interview; that is, to share with students those qualities
useful in attaining success – students would benefit from such
insights. This positive demeanor need not be devious or untruthful.
In the process of obtaining and reporting this information, one can
report, as context, the true conditions that lead to advancement and
an honest account of how likely it is for any particular, hard
working person to eventually meet this type of success. I believe
that educating young people as to these matters is a very responsible
thing to do. It is responsible in terms of students' personal
interests and in terms of educating students as to the true level of
equality that exists in their community.
Naturally,
what I am proposing is just a suggestion, but I want to emphasize
that these questions are listed here only to spur in teachers or a
class of students ideas that can serve as a starting point. Students
should be totally free to take them and change them in any way they
might feel would be suitable given the aims the teacher offers to
guide their efforts. Here is the list:
- With what business are you employed?
- What is your role in that business? Generally describe your duties.
- With what other businesses are you or your business linked or associated?
- With what associations – such as professional or communal – are you or your business engaged?
- What are your roles in those associations?
- How would you describe your role or activities in advancing community interests?
- How many jobs does your business provide?
- How would you describe these jobs – in terms of actual duties, skills, pay, and the like?
- How would you describe your role concerning civic affairs?
- How would you describe your rise within your business – in terms of time, experiences, level of effort and difficulty, and the like?
- What previous jobs did you hold before coming to the present business or employer you presently have?
- Do you have any family members employed by your business – now and before you took on the top position of leadership?
- How does your business, your industry, your community, the nation promote leadership?
- Are these methods of promoting leadership effective? If yes, how? If not, in what ways are these methods deficient?
- Given a position of leadership, as the one you hold, what are the moral responsibilities of a person holding such a position to the welfare of a community? Please expand.
- To prepare for a position such as the one you hold, what type of educational experiences are essential? Which are, if not essential, useful? Which are, if not essential or useful, a waste of time?
- Given all the factors that affect you and your business, what is right with your community, with the region where your business is located, with the nation, with the world?
- Given all the factors that affect you and your business, what is wrong with your community, with the region where your business is located, with the nation, with the world?
- If you were asked to account for your success, what percentage would you say was due to your effort (hard work) and what percentage was due to good fortune? Please explain.
In
regard to these kinds of questions, I will share with you, in some
future posting, what Hunter found out about the leaders he studied.
While his study is now dated, it would be interesting to compare what
business and other community leaders say today with what their
counterparts reported over a half century ago. Also, it would be
interesting for the students, before administering the survey, to
answer the questions as they believe an ideal powerful person should
answer them. They can then compare their version of the ideal with
the reality that exists in their community.
1Hunter,
F. (1953). Community
Power Structure: A Study of Decision Makers.
Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press.
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