Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-01

fessional man is not a specialist.
He is a g~eneralist.
A Practical G~eneralist
The social engineer represents a
reaction against a tendency to
word over-specialization. Some stu
dents of the world and it's affairs
say that specialization has become
so acute that few people are seeing
things in their true proportion. Too
often a specialists own cross Sec
and other mems work fades into
insignificance in his opinion. This
is one theory to explain why cities
continue to struggle along with out
worn institutions. The experts do
not have a panoramic view of
conditions.
The social engineer. being a prac
teal generalist, is supposed to get
a panoramic view, and, what is
more difficult, he is supposed to
make the c~ommunity's specialists
and workers get it. That is per-
haps, his biggest task.
This work is quite obviously a
departure in professions, and while
the idea is already being taken up
by some cities, it will be some time
before the profession is definitely
established.
The National Community Board,
which is sponsoring the social en-
cheering idea, admits that getting
a profession started in the world
is neither a quick nor an easy
proposition. The board has taken
the first step by announcing that it
recognizes social engineering as a
liberal profession and that it aims
to have it established on the same
basis as law and medicine.
DR.. Henry E. Jackson. president
of the board and an experienced So
cial worker, has been authorized by
the board to designate himself a
social engineer He is the pioneer
in practising the new profession.
College Courses Necessary
If social engineering is to become
a new career, as the National
Community Board believes it will. it
will have to be standardized and
proper training for the work will
have to be given In colleges. DR..
Jackson say that these steps will
soon be taken. He predicts that in
20 years universities all over the
country will be giving such courses.
LIZ. OdCh6Ou las O66n QOlnS the
Work of a 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.
DIR. Jackson Is not only a social
expert: he is something Of a psychoI
ogist and a diplomat. He finds that
communities lei the importa-
ton Of outsiders to do their work for
them. That Is why he merely pre-
scrtbes for a situation and leaves
a newly formed and inspired board
Of local social engineers to do the
towns work. He believes that every
city should have such a 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 nc authority to try to change
conditions, and so his work is not
often of the constructive, engineer
ing type.
DR.. jackson believes that a key to
the defects in social organization is
found in the elaborate system Of
charities that exists everywhere.
THE waste of money and good
will in cities is criminal" he says.
In one city in California we found
81 agencies engaged in social well
fare work supported by the people.
"The day for charities Is done.
1t Is immoral, facilitating and
ruinous to American cities. As a
policy Of emergency, OF course, it
has it's place. But ordinary correc-
tive social work is like cleaning out
the we'll by painting the pump.
There is a growing resentment
against charity and real rebellion
against tnnumerable tag days and
benefits. but the cities don't know
what to do about it. The thing to
do is to eliminate the need so far
as possible and to establish local
social engineering boards to corre-
late social activities. eliminating
the useless agencies, and increasing
the effectiveness of those that are
useful.
1--WE want to show people that
prevention is always better-cheap-
err and more practical-than cure