Fishburn Hedges

25.08.2010 | (1 comment)

Anyone interested in the coalition’s idea of the Big Society, the policy it may lead to and the implementation of this policy, must read the latest report from the RSA - 'N Squared' by Paul Ormerod.  It looks at what the future holds for policymakers who are seeking to make us more ‘active’ citizens, to create a safer, greener and healthier society. It suggests that, if they are to achieve this, then they need to reassess the relationship between the citizen and the state.

I wouldn’t want to make a habit of quoting the Prime Minister but this line from the report is a nice summary: Cameron says ‘the success of the Big Society will depend on the daily decisions of millions of people’.  And I am sure he’s right.  As ever, it is these millions of people and how they make choices that continues to challenge everyone who aims to create change.

Nudge Love

N Squared discusses the recent love affair with ‘Nudge’ - the popular face of behavioural economics that has influenced the Tories’ approach to the Big Society thus far - and commends the concept to a certain extent.  It has helped people to finally bin the idea seated in traditional economics that there is a universal mode for behaviour - it allows for uncertainty in human decision making. 

The Big Social network

Ormerod goes one step further - he thinks we should allow for more uncertainty.  Nudge is an insight into how you can start to steer a network of people towards a different pattern of behaviour, but ultimately the network will take the reins and choose whether they follow that course or not.

It is this recognition of the influence of social networks which Ormerod argues must become key if we are to engage with individuals and have a hand in the choices they make.  This understanding accepts the truly dialogical nature of an individual or citizen, an idea that philosophers like Charles Taylor have been banging on about for the last decade.  Humans reason and make decisions through exposure to and interaction with those networks or frameworks that surround them, whether that’s a Facebook group or a queue in the Post Office.

Embrace disorder 

The truth is that policy based on a little bit of nudging and a greater understanding of networks is a rather daunting thought for a policy maker.  It presents a world which is disorderly and uncontrollable, where initiatives may fail and the network may influence unpredictable decisions.  But there is also an opportunity for huge pay offs.  A small intervention based on a keen understanding of the networks influencing individuals could make a real and tangible impact.

Acceptance of this irrational world would be scary for policymakers and those of us working in communications, if it wasn’t so exciting.  Here is the opportunity to get a greater understanding of what and who influences citizens, enabling them to make choices that benefit themselves and those around them.

Posted by Rose Beynon

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davidwilcox on 26.08.2010

Thanks Rose for a really understandable and so useful summary of the pamphlet. It prompted me to follow up here ... There is no Big Society Plan - and that's no bad thing http://socialreporter.com/?p=1013