EVALUATION AND SOCIETY (FROM EVALUATION STUDIES REVIEW ANNUAL, V 2, 1977, BY MARCIA GUTTENTAG AND SHALOM SAAR SEE NCJ-47177)

• NCJ Number: 47179
• Author(s): M GUTTENTAG
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINTED FROM PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN, V 3, N 1 (1977), P 31-40

Annotation

THE SOCIETAL CONTEXTS OF EVALUATION RESEARCH ARE DISCUSSED, AND REQUIREMENTS IMPOSED ON THE EVALUATIVE PARADIGM BY POSTINDUSTRIAL SOCIETY ARE IDENTIFIED.

Abstract

PREINDUSTRIAL SOCIETY IS CHARACTERIZED AS A GAME AGAINST NATURE; INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY AS A GAME AGAINST FABRICATED NATURE; AND POSTINDUSTRIAL SOCIETY AS A GAME BETWEEN PERSONS. THE KEY ISSUE IN POSTINDUSTRIAL SOCIETY IS MASTERING AND UNDERSTANDING THE GAME BETWEEN PERSONS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND DECISIONMAKING SOCIAL UNITS. THERE ARE INDICATIONS OF A PARADIGM SHIFT, PARTICULARLY IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, AWAY FROM THE SCIENTIFIC PARADIGM OF THE INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY AND TOWARD A PARADIGM THAT REFLECTS THE CONCERNS AND PROBLEMS OF A SOCIETY CENTERED ON SERVICES. THE FORMAL STRUCTURE OF AN EVALUATIVE PARADIGM IN POSTINDUSTRIAL SOCIETY MUST RESPECT THE PERSPECTIVES OF DIVERSE DECISIONMAKING GROUPS. THE OBJECTIVES OF THESE GROUPS DETERMINE THE KINDS OF INFORMATION PRODUCED. THE SCIENTIST'S VIEW OF WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS NO LONGER DOMINANT. EVALUATION METHODS AND STATISTICAL SYSTEMS MUST NOT MAKE FALSE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF SOCIAL REALITIES AND MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE TRUE NATURE OF DATA ON HUMAN BEINGS. THE EVALUATIVE PARADIGM SHOULD FIT THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE EVALUATIVE PROBLEM. METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES DEBATED IN THE EVALUATION LITERATURE -- THE SOCIAL PROGRAM AS AN INDEPENDENT VARIABLE, DEALING WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF MULTIPLE DECISIONMAKING GROUPS, DATA AGGREGATION AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, EXPERIMENTAL VERSUS QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS, DATA INTEGRATION, THE DECISION ABOUT WHAT INFORMATION IS TO BE PRODUCED -- REFLECT THE FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE THE PARADIGM SHIFT. A DECISION THEORETIC APPROACH TO EVALUATION MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF POSTINDUSTRIAL SOCIETY. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)