Observations/Reflections: On Sociological Structures and Opposing Trends
Status: Dictated but Not Reviewed
Published: 5/25/2011
Written: 2/21/2011
Dictated By: Flint McGlaughlin

There is a phenomenon I sometimes notice in sociological structures. I will try to describe it in four points:

1. A group in society recognizes a negative trend.

2. They attempt to counter that trend with education and resources.

3. A new positive trend is initiated.

4. The positive trend is not a reversal of the negative trend. It is an addition to the negative trend. Thus, one has not corrected the problem but only counter-balanced it - and only done that in a limited since (because all elements affected by the negative trend do not experience the impact of the positive trend).

The reason that two trends exist instead of countering each other is that the conditions still exist which promoted the negative trend. As long as there are these two sets of conditions, there will be two opposing forces.

It is not enough to generate an opposing force, one must take out the source of the other.