From Organisational Theory to the New Communitarianism of Amitai Etzioni
2002; University of Alberta; Volume: 27; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/3341413
ISSN1710-1123
Autores Tópico(s)Management, Economics, and Public Policy
ResumoIntroduction Across a wide range of social commentators and social disciplines there has been little doubt that thoughts and sentiments of Amitai Etzioni have influenced a communitarian attempt to establish a new moral order within which modern society should develop. Ruth Levitas (1998), to name but one, points to characteristic centrality Etzioni gives to family as well as to community. On another level, Finn Bowring (1997) draws upon Etzioni's calls for revival of individual responsibility and social morality as a means to create social cohesion. Both recognise that it is precisely this emphasis upon family, community, social discipline, obligation and responsibility as opposed to an indiscriminate conferral of rights that is at heart of new communitarianism and its growing popularity. Nevertheless, what has not been commonly recognised -- and what has not been fully explored -- is from where Amitai Etzioni actually drew his inspiration. How did he arrive at such an influential social philosophy, and what factors affected its formulation? Through a comparison of Etzioni's later works with those of earlier times, it is my contention that Etzioni has not said anything new or innovative. Nor has he provided a social prescription that actually traverses old political and socio-economic boundaries. More to point, it is possible to show how Etzioni continues to reiterate thoughts and impressions he had gained from his functionalist days as an organisational theorist during 1950s and 1960s: only difference being that earlier micro-theories of organisations have now been transposed to fit a macro-theory about perceived ills and remedies pertinent to contemporary 'mainstream' society. Although it has been pointed out before that organisational theorists fundamentally restrict themselves to search for efficiency within confines of North American relations of capital (cf Allen, 1975), it is not a charge that has been rigorously applied to Amitai Etzioni. Least of all to The Spirit of Community (1995) and The New Golden Rule (1997). With a deeper analysis of specific methodology employed, it is again possible to reveal reliance Etzioni puts upon his sociological origins and thus expose underlying limitations of his societal projections. Moreover, it will become apparent that this form of methodological analysis is myopically used to substantiate an argument for promotion of a normative society remarkably reminiscent of America in 1950s. Finally in this 'Note on Society,' I will discuss ramifications of Etzioni's approach. Such theoretical and methodological limitations are bound to affect efficacy and applicability of communitarian ideal. Especially when revival of a sense of community is still reliant upon relatively unfettered continuation of a competitive market. American Society in 1950s: A 'Baseline' Templet When introducing The Essential Communitarian Reader (1998), Etzioni succinctly defines communitarian movement as he understands it. He is at pains to distinguish new communitarians from communitaranism of nineteenth century by distancing his position from old blinkered stress upon significance of social forces, of community, of social bonds (1998:x) and of elements that individualistic theory neglected. Instead, he argues, new communitarians concern themselves with the balance between social forces and person, between community and autonomy, between common good and liberty, between individual rights and social responsibilities (ibid). Elsewhere, Etzioni sees himself -- and, for that matter, this new form of communitarianism -- as a responsive harbinger of social equilibrium locked in a quest to revitalise society through a unique blending of some elements in tradition (order based on virtues) with elements of modernity (well protected autonomy) (Etzioni, 1997:xviii). …
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