A Self Renewing Society

“The only stability possible is stability in motion.”—John William Gardner In his classic treatise Self-Renewal, John W. Gardner examines why great societies thrive and die. He argues that it is dynamism, not decay, that is dramatically altering the landscape of American society. The twentieth century has brought about change more rapidly than any previous era, and with that came advancements, challenges, and often destruction. Gardner cautions that “a society must court the kinds of change that will enrich and strengthen it, rather than the kind of change that will fragment and destroy it.” A society’s ability to renew itself hinges upon its individuals. Gardner reasons that it is the waning of the heart and spirit—not a lack of material might—that threatens American society. Young countries, businesses, and humans have several key commonalities: they are flexible, eager, open, curious, unafraid, and willing to take risks. These conditions lead to success. However, as time passes, so too comes complacency, apathy, and rigidity, causing motivation to plummet. It is at this junction that great civilizations fall, businesses go bankrupt, and life stagnates. Gardner asserts that the individual’s role in social renewal requires each person to face and look beyond imminent threats. Ultimately, we need a vision that there is something worth saving. Through this vision, Gardner argues, society will begin to renew itself, not permanently, but past its average lifespan, and it will at once become enriched and rejuvenated.

Through the broad perspective of the systems theory, the sociobiology of self-renewal and the use of historical-critical research, this book explores the process of continuous dying and re-birth occurring daily in American society, in every society. Conceptualizing the media and communications technology as the collective nervous system of a society can help us in understanding the above-mentioned 'renewing' process. Of interest to professors and students of mass communications, government and public pol information science.

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"Gardner's is not a 'how-to-do-it' book for the conduct of modern society. It is something rarer these days and more basic: a 'why-to-do-it' book. Its impact on many readers is bound to be challenging and stimulating and even inspirational."-Clark Kerr, Science

Although this book was first published in 1919, it remains highly relevant to social problems encountered today. Uniquely, Steiner's social thinking is not based on intellectual theory, but on a profound perception of the archetypal spiritual nature of social life. As he suggests in this classic work, society has three distinct realms - the economic, the political (individual human rights), and the cultural (spiritual). While social life as a whole is a unity, the autonomy of these three sectors should be respected if our increasing social problems are to be resolved. Steiner relates the ideals of 'liberty, equality and fraternity' to modern society. Economics calls for fraternity (brotherhood), political rights require equality, while culture should be characterised by liberty (freedom). The slogans of the French Revolution, he suggests, can only become truly manifest if our social thinking is transformed to correspond to the spiritual reality.

Articulates a new, post-ethnic American Jewishness

"This edited collection features essays by Indigenous legal academics from across Canada about renewing relationships between Indigenous peoples and Canada. Some Indigenous nations might embrace principles of reconciliation as reflecting a renewed relationship, while others reject the concept of reconciliation and instead advocate for resistance or decolonization. This collection includes chapters that critically engage with these theoretical debates, as well as chapters that analyze how these concepts can be instantiated in tangible and specific ways. It builds on existing literature on Indigenous-Crown relationships that addresses issues such as the inclusion of Indigenous laws, self-determination, and the role of the constitution. The chapters explore questions such as: What does a renewed relationship look like in modern Canadian society? What is the role of Indigenous law in renewing the relationship between Indigenous peoples and Canada? What does the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples contribute to an understanding of a renewed relationship? How do treaties define Indigenous-Crown relationships? What shifts must occur within Canadian institutions to move away from the current colonial relationship?"--

Income, education, employment, housing, the wider environment, and social supports; far more than the actions of physicians, nurses, and other health care providers, it is these conditions that make the greatest difference in our health. Drawing on his experiences as a family physician in the inner city of Saskatoon, Mozambique, and rural Saskatchewan, Dr. Ryan Meili uses scholarship and patient stories to explore health determinants and democratic reforms that could create a truly healthy society. By synthesizing diverse ideas into a plan for action based on the lived experiences of practitioners and patients, A Healthy Society breaks important ground in the renewal of politics toward the goal of better lives for all Canadians.