Beus8 developed two opposing agricultural paradigms, one for conventional agriculture and one for alternative agriculture. He found that these agricultural paradigms paralleled the Dominant Social Paradigm and Alternative Environmental Paradigm, respectively. Some, like Butz, would argue that the changes that occurred in agriculture were inevitable, that there really wasn't an alternative. Berry points to the Amish who thrive on small farms, use few nonrenewable resources, and live in close-knit communities as an example of agriculture built on the beliefs and values of an Alternative Agricultural Paradigm. We must not simply help people adapt to inevitable change.
Inevitable change is change that's decided on and promoted by the dominant forces of society.
Extension must help our clientele decide what they want their future to be. It means we must choose with them some end we'll promote. These aren't results that have been very successfully achieved in recent years. Because they're not priorities of those who adhere to the beliefs and values of the Dominant Social Paradigm and because educators who focus only on means often end up unwittingly supporting the priorities of that paradigm. The Dominant Social Paradigm places high confidence in science and technology to solve societal problems.