Description
Book SynopsisPolicymaking, Communication, and Social Learning presents Sir Geoffrey Vickers's seminal essays on policymaking and related issues facing modern Western culture. These essays, many of them published here for the first time, illustrate the range of Sir Geoffrey's thought, and also articulate certain recurrent themes. He portrays a unique view of policymaking, building on his notion of appreciation and focusing on the processes of reflection and communication in setting and changing the tacit norms which govern our conduct. These themes culminate in his perception of the emerging challenges facing the professions, and in what he sees as the educational requirements implied by these challenges.
Vickers was a master of the English language. He writes vividly, blending concrete example with more general statement. As a result, this volume will appeal to a wide audience concerned with issues of public governance, regulation, communication, ecology, value conflict and resolution, the modern role of the professions, education, and ethics.
Table of ContentsForeword, by Sir Geoffrey Vickers Preface Introduction Part I. Policymaking and Appreciation 1. The Psychology of Policymaking and Social Change 2. Evolving Priorities 3. Norms and Meanings 4. Reflective Consciousness 5. The Tacit Norm Part II. Communication and Ethics 6. Communication and Ethical Judgment 7. Communication and Appreciation 8. Changing Patterns of Communication 9. The Ecology of Culture 10. The Ecology of Ethics Part III. Social Learning and the Professions 11. The Changing Nature of the Professions 12. Practice and Research in Managing Human Systems 13. Educational Criteria for Times of Change 14. Education for Systems Thinking
