The Sustainable Value Set Series - Part I
Values, Ethics and the World Shift
Values: The Long View - Part I
When we think of ethics and values, we often think of would's and should's, of rights and wrongs, but our tendency to dichotomize betrays the inherent complexity in these concepts. Our insistence that things should be black and white is confounded by our experience in reality, which is so commonly filled with shades of grey. The complexity of values cannot be understood in a linear way. A value does not equal or lead to behavior. Values come in systems, a group of interrelated parts that have a purpose.
This is important because while each value has relevance and meaning by itself, together, as a system, a collection of values has tremendous impact.
Our lack of understanding has blinded us to both the relationships among certain "sets" of values and as well as the purposes they support. We are used to seeing values as independent parts instead of the interdependent components of a system. This is important because while each value has relevance and meaning by itself, together, as a system, a collection of values has tremendous impact. Think of the old adage, the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. Understanding these systems allows for the dynamics behind many human interactions to become clear. For example, a lack of understanding values as systems is one of the underlying causes of corruption.
The Protective Value Set
One of the most important issues in any community is leadership. Important factors such as how leadership is determined and maintained and the relationship between the leader and the lead are questions that need to be not only resolved, but also repeatedly revaluated across time. The easiest way to do this is to create a value system. Revisiting our earlier days, the issues crucial in establishing leadership were defining status and ensuring obedience. Jacobs observes the values at play during this time in our history, starting with Be Loyal and Obedience & Discipline. Supporting values were Take Vengeance and Adhere to Tradition, with Exert Prowess , Be Ostentatious, and Dispense Largesse coming in quick succession as a means to ensure legitimacy for power. Then there were issues between and among those who supported the leader. Consequently, Show Fortitude, Be Fatalistic, Treasure Honor, and Deceive for the Task became the watchwords of the foot soldiers. To ensure clarity and status came; Be Exclusive, Shun Trading and Make Rich use of Leisure.
The coherent, protective value set whose purpose is protection is alive and well in this day and age.
Jacobs goes into great detail about her research and reasoning behind these core values. Loyalty, she says, is needed to ensure obedience without question. Those who do not have unqualified faith in their leader are seen as disloyal, and thus subject to vengeance of one kind or another. Once a lineage was established, then tradition would make it easier to continue along the same lines without continuous questioning and fighting. To placate the lead and to ensure the acceptance of the leader's skill, show of skill and status (fine garb and uniforms) and the giving away of food and other signs of wealth were good tools. For supporters there were issues of infighting and internal status so being tough, being able to endure, being honorable to prevent disloyalty, and being allowed to do whatever it took to carry out the leaders orders without negative repercussions (deceive for the sake of the task) were necessary. Most folks have problems with deceive for the sake of the task, but look at what we require of soldiers and police and it is quite clear that we "forgive" their dishonesty and undercover behaviour in the line of duty.
In the Protective value set, Dispense Largesse, Make Rich Use of Leisure and Treasure Honor provide a "what's in it for me"(WIFM) for followers. As with Baboon leadership, the “friends” benefit most and the creation and maintenance of an “in” group and an “out” group is an inherent part of the structure that keeps this value set in place.
The coherent Protective Value Set, whose purpose is protection, is alive and well in this day and age. Many corporations are “governed” by these values and many instances of corruption have these values as components. These values are not inherently wrong, passé, or evil; however, they can be misused and through that misapplication, create opportunities for corruption.
The Nature of Value Sets
An important part of understanding values sets is to know that they are complete systems with integral parts. Integral parts cannot be removed from a system or exchanged with another system without compromising the overall integrity of that system. For example, in the context of the Protective Value Set, if you want protection, then you want all of the protective values alive and well. Conversely, if protection is not an issue then you do not want any of these values active.
Integral parts cannot be removed from a system or exchanged with another system without compromising the overall integrity of that system.
When survival was an issue if daily importance, there was a great need for protection. Now that we can feed the entire world (should we so desire), it is not the driver it used to be unless the fear is manufactured by authoritarian leadership or scarcity caused by greed. Because of that we have moved on to different value sets.
In the next installment of the Sustainable Value Set Series, the next value set will be presented: the Effective Value Set, the gifts and challenges it brings, and we will look more deeply at how to maintain the integrity of value systems.
The Sustainable Value Set Series by Kathryn Alexander is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.newgreeneconomy.com.
The author, Kathryn Alexander, has been working with values and developing the work of Jane Jacobs for over ten years. Kathryn is an author, public speaker and consultant focused on bringing The New Green Economy to life.
