Social Analysis

Brothers,

Below is an outline of the framework in/by which we will be working to increase awareness of issues related to human rights. Take some time to read or skim the article below, just to familiarize yourself with the basic principles and practicalities under which we will mobilize ourselves and others.

Best,
BRobPeachFSC


Excerpt from: Making Social Analysis Useful by Rita Hofbauer, Dorothy Kinsella, and Amata Miller (Leadership Conference of Women Religious)

"An Introduction to Social Analysis"

• Why is social analysis important now?

Three Integral Dimensions of Human Experience:

In recent years we have become increasingly aware that there are three integral dimensions of human existence:

Personal--where we are uniquely ourselves
Interpersonal--where we are related to our close associates
Societal--where we are affected by and affect social structures

As religious congregations moved into renewal after Vatican II we first deepened our awareness of the ways in which the achieving of our personhood was dependent on rich interpersonal relationships and vice versa. More recently we have realized how societal structures condition interpersonal relationships and the development of personhood. And so we have come to see that the call of Christ to love others as he has loved them mandates that we address the social structures which violate human dignity--it IS a call to SOCIAL JUSTICE [which means loving others so much that I work to change strucutres that violate their dignity].

In order to participate in the transformation of the earth to which we are called we need to understand social reality in light of the Gospel. So we do SOCIAL ANALYSIS and THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION as preparation for our ACTION PLANNING and as a way to enlarge our REFLECTION ON OUR EXPERIENCE.

The Signs of Our Times...

That we do SOCIAL ANALYSIS is mandated too, by the signs of the times. We live in a world where more and more people experience the deprivation of even the most basic human rights because of the operation of oppressive socio-economic-political structures. The systems which have served some of us so well in recent times are now in crisis, both external and internal. This means that there will be change. Only the direction of the change is in question. Will it be toward conservation of power by the beneficiaries of the present systems? Or will it be toward a more humane world order in which all people have opportunities to experience their fundamental human rights? There is widespread call for a new commitment to values more conducive to a just, sustainable, and participatory world order--values deep within our Judaeo-Christian traditions. So the call to participate in the transformation of the earth comes not only from within our Gospel-centered vision but also from the world realities. This carries with it a moral imperative, a greater responsibility for action--informed and effective. To this end SOCIAL ANALYSIS becomes necessary.

For the Christian social analysis is a part of a process, ongoing and dynamic--a process of conversion, of action for transformation of the earth. Always we have known that the Christian life called us to knowing, loving, serving--or seeing, judging, acting (depending on our generation).

Now we speak of the continuing process of:

• Social Analysis
  
• Theological Reflection
• Action Plan
• Experience

...each time building on and extending previous insights and experience. SOCIAL ANALYSIS as part of this ongoing process is a means of widening our reflection on our experience to search out relationships between values, events, structures, systems, ideologies. It goes beyond our immediate experience to probe the historical roots and future implications of events and issues and systems. It seeks for causes, for linkages rooted in the structural realities which condition our experience and limit or expand our freedom of choice. But it does this always in the framework of seeking for understandings needed for ACTION and TRANSFORMATION in the light of the GOSPEL VALUES.

For the Christian SOCIAL ANALYSIS will become a habit of thought which comes to expand our approach to all of our experiences. It will stretch us to move

• from personal to the societal : We will look beyond the immediate hunger of the poor family to ask what there is about our economic system which enables it to produce abundant food yet not feed all its people.
  
• from the anecdotal to the analytical : We will look beyond the single unemployed worker to runaway factories and the interrelated choices and policies which create the mismatch between her/his skills and the available jobs.
  
• from the ahistorical to the historical : We will go beyond saying, "Our immigrant ancestors made their way out of poverty, why can't THEY?" To looking at the differences between the 19th century with its needs for legions of unskilled workers to the 20th in which over two-thirds of the labor forces is providing services, many of which require relatively high levels of skill.
  
• from the local to the global : We look not only to the needs of refugees moving into our area, but also to the realities of war and economic exploitation which force people to leave their homelands.
  
• from the assistential to the transformational : We will give food to the mother and her children but also seek to upgrade working conditions and wages for women (in our institutions and elsewhere).
• from guilt to responsibility : We will see the linkages between our privileged position in the world and the hardships of our brothers and sisters and we will join with them and others in action toward a just society.

We will become persons to habitually ask WHY in the face of human suffering and injustice. We will always look for:

• CAUSES
• RELATIONSHIPS
• STRUCTURAL REALITIES
  

in order to understand and to plan for effective action for change.

How do we do Social Analysis?

From a variety of entry points:

• an event - an experience of an unjust firing
• an issue - the arms race, the nuclear freeze question
• a set of problems - economic deterioration of a neighborhood
• a group quest - the goal setting for a local house, a parish, a school, a congregation
• a question - why does poverty persist in the richest country in the world?

The nature of the entry point, the catalyst, will influence the way in which we will carry out the process of SOCIAL ANALYSIS, but the elements will be the same in every case.

With Various Resources

Depending on the nature of what called us to social analysis, the scope of analysis, the resources needed, and the length of the process will vary. If the entry point is an event with which we are very familiar, not much data gathering from external sources will be needed. We probably will not require a resource person to assist us in our analysis.

However, if we are trying to understand a complex social issue, or the way a whole system functions we may need a longer time period and some external resources persons to assist us. One of the things that is likely to occur in the social analysis process is that we will find ourselves able to resource one another in unexpected ways as we deal with questions. The richness of our collective experience and understanding will be revealed to us and empower us in the process of sharing the analysis.

From Various Perspectives

Each of us will bring to SOCIAL ANALYSIS our experience, our education, our family background, our particular socio-economic-political philosophy. (We may be conservative, liberal, or radical; Republican, Democrat or Independent; we may be eclectic in our views). Our positions may be more or less rationally based, but there will almost certainly be feelings attached to them which will come into play as we discuss the various aspects of our analysis. Recognizing this beforehand and during the process will help us to deal constructively with our diversity.

When we read about social analysis we will find that some social analyses are done from a long-term historical perspective; others deal with only the recent past. Some proceed from a position supportive of design of Western socio-economic-political systems, and others issue from a critique of those systems. Some proceed from a theoretical analysis; others are more practical in their scope. As we work with social analysis we will become more skilled in identifying the various perspectives and in recognizing the part of the truth that each contains. Our own perspective will be measured against the Gospel values in the THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION part of the process.

In Various Steps

When a group assembles for a brief or extended SOCIAL ANALYSIS it will be important to carry out all of the steps of the Pastoral Circle in one way or another. Here the steps of SOCIAL ANALYSIS are laid out more fully than the others:

• EXPERIENCE
  

1. TOUCH INTO THE VALUE BASE - Through prayer and the sharing of experience get in touch with the value that the members of the group hold in common. This can be done through faith sharing and/or story telling and will set the climate.

• SOCIAL ANALYSIS

1. CLARIFY THE FOCUS - Identify the purpose of the ANALYSIS through a clear statement of the question, issue or event that has called the group to the process.
2. GATHER THE DATA - Use the QUESTIONS FOR SOCIAL ANALYSIS at the end of this section to bring together the facts and understandings regarding the realities of the matter at hand.
• Distribute the questions to the participants, whenever possible, ahead of the meeting so that the data can be gathered from various sources. This will be more or less important depending on the subject of the analysis.
• Post the data on large sheets visible to all in some type of brainstorming process. This helps the group to move together and to discover together.
• Identify any further data that is needed and be sure that someone takes responsibility for it.
  
3. ANALYZE THE DATA - Examine the data and mark elements which seem to be causes, to provide linkages--in either positive or negative ways. In order to identify both problems to be addressed and strengths on which to build.
   
• List any causes which appear in several of the areas of data. This helps to pick out the most critical ones.
• Among the causes try to identify any which seem more pervasive or fundamental than others. Make a prioritized list of causal factors--positive and negative.
• Identify any questions requiring further data gathering or input before the group can proceed.
4. SYNTHESIZE THE DATA - Draw together what has been learned about the problems and the positive forces operative in the situation being analyzed. This should result in two concise statements of the reality as understood at this point. One statement will identify the causes and linkages in the problem area. (e.g., in our neighborhood people are being driven out of their homes because the banks are refusing them loans. This is contributing to family tensions and hardships as well as the breakup of strong ethnic communities.) A second statement will point out the resources available and the positive factors on which to build. (e.g., in our neighborhood there exist strong bonds and parish organizations which have given the people a sense of solidarity and experience of working together.)

• THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION

1. JUDGE THE SITUATION - Clarify what values from Scripture and Tradition mean for this situation which has been analyzed.
• Reflect on the statements made during SOCIAL ANALYSIS and ask what Judeo-Christian values should be used in judging the situation. The group might try to recall what words or actions of Jesus would be relevant to the situation as it has come to be understood. After time for individual reflection, share insights and move to some shared understanding of the most clearly and importantly relevant principles.
• Formulate group statement expressing a theological judgment of the situation as stated in the synthesis. Post this alongside the statements in step five (5) of SOCIAL ANALYSIS.
  

• ACTION PLAN
  

1. PLAN FOR ACTION - This step will involve the identifications for what the group will do in response to the SOCIAL ANALYSIS and THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION to participate in action for transformation. It should include all the steps of good action planning:
   
• Brainstorming possible actions appropriate to the situation as it has been analyzed.
• Eliminating any actions which seem impossible for the groups or unlikely to be effective.
• Listing the pros and cons of each of the plausible options.
  
• Choosing the course of action to be taken through some type of consensus of the group.
• Developing the strategy for carrying out the action:
• identifying the component activities needed
• identifying resource/persons to act/interact in the various activities
• setting a realistic timeline
• assigning tasks and setting up procedures for accountability
• looking over the whole strategy to see that all the essential elements have been included.