Message-ID: <10.6991.450@devcan.ca> Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 17:42:00 -0400 From: Chris Brown <mailto:chris.brown@DEVCAN.CA> Subject: ENQ: History of manageria To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
km>The modern push towards 'information' and away from 'experience' km>as well as the earlier rise of statistical analysis both serve to km>the redirect value of knowledge - from that of one who knows 'what to km>the do' to one who wants to know 'what is being done.'km> Can someone who knows the history of such things tell me if there km>was there a societal need for the latter type which drove the km>information technologies, or does the rise of managerialism merely km>reflect the utilization of tools which were at hand?
km>kerry miller mailto:astingsh@ksu.ksu.edu
Maybe it's simplistic, but don't most of these things happen as part of a power grab? An existing group uses one tool to be in control; another uses another to take over. Industrial areas use meachinery to displace people who depend on manulal labour. We see science taking over from the real(?) or natural(?), often more valuable, indigenous knowledge of farmers or native harvesters. In the 1950s in Canada we saw the "university class" take over from the learn on the job crowd. We see shopping centres with chain stores, run by "professional" (read cool, uncaring) corporate executives, take over from neighbourhood family businesses or even retail businesses in business neighbourhoods.
Maybe we will see informal gangs and destabilization take over from the irrelevant rigidity of institutions which are full of people who are more concerned about paying their mortgages, getting their kids through university, keeping their jobs, than about the expressed mandate of their institution.
People who will benefit by the supremecy of information over knowledge will promote it, just as knowledgeable people in the past promoted knowledge over wisdom as a source of leadership. The smarter we are, the dumber we get. ONWARDS AND SIDEWAYS!!!!!!!!!to the edge of the world.
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