The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-29
Frederick Haskin's | etter.
Introducing the Social Engineer.
(0pas1al Caseapsndsaes e n Azgus

departure in professions, and vh,,a
the idea is already being taken mn
by some cities, it will be soms
time before the profession, is def.
initely established.
The national community boa,a
which is sponsoring the social on
cheering idea, admits that gettin,
. profession started in the worl.i
is neither quick nor an easv
proposition. The board has taken
the first step by announcing fba,
it recognizes social engineering a.
liberal profession and that II
aims to have it established on ths
same basis as law and medicine
DR.. Henry E. Jackson, presiden.
OF the board and an experienced so.
cial worker, has been authorizes
by the board to designate himself
social engineer. He is the pioneer
in practicing the new profession
College Course Necessary.
If social engineering is to be.
come a new career. as the national
community board believes it viii
it will have to be standardized and
proper training for the work will
have to be given in colleges. DR.
Jackson says that these steps will
soon be taken. He predicts that in
20 years universities all over the
country will be giving courses.
DR.. Jackson has been doing the
! work of social engineer without
! the official title for some time, He
has followed his profession in the
mountains of Kentucky and in such
| widely scattered cities as Toledo.
Dallas, Boston, Los Angeles, ST..
Louis and San Francisco.
DR.. Jackson is not only a social
expert: he is something of a psy-
cholOgist and a diplomat. He finds
that communities resent the impor-
lance of outsiders to do their work
| for them. That is why he merely
prescribes for a satuation and
leaves q newly formed and inspired
board of local social engineers to
/ do the towns work. He believes
that every city should have such
board of men and women who not
only know local conditions but who
! apply their knowledge with social
intelligence.
The city manager is at present
the nearest approach to the, local
engineer. But the city manager is
handicapped because he is almost
entirely restricted to administering
affairs as they are. He has little
or no authority to try to change
conditions, and so his work is not
often of the constructive, engineer
ing type.
DR.. Jackson believes that key
| to the defects in social organization
lis found in the elaborate system Of
charities that exist everywhere.
| 1.-The waste of money and good
will in cities is criminal" he says.
an one city in California we found
81 agencies engaged in social well
| fare work supported by the people
"The day for charity is done. 1t
! is immoral, facilitating, and ruin
, Gus to American cities. AS a policy
| of emergency, Of course. it has It's
/, place. But ordinary corrective So
cial work is like cleaning out the
we'll by painting the pump,
"-There is a growing resentment
against charity and real rebellion
against innumerable tag days and
benefits, but the cities don't know
what to do about it. The thing to
i do is to eliminate the need so var
as possible and to establish local
), social engineering boards to cor
relate social activities. eliminating
the useless agencies and increas-
| ing the effectiveness of those that
are useful.
I'VE want to show people that
prevention is always better-cheap.
er and more practical-than cure