Social engineering and cultural policy – theoretical and empirical reflexions from Swedish cultural policy in a historical perspective

Abstract

This article explores the influence of social engineering in various forms within Swedish cultural policy, seen in a historical perspective. In social engineering cultural policy measures, reforms and projects are justified by scientifically based research rather than party based ideological arguments. Karl Popper’s classification of the utopian and the step-by-step engineering make up the starting point, redefined as paternalistic engineering, welfare state engineering and utilitarian engineering in order to apply these ideas to cultural policy. Social engineering was predominant in Swedish cultural policy mainly during the post war period. In the 1950s as well as in the 1970s this engineering takes on a paternalistic character, in the struggle against injurious culture, such as video violence. Current practice of paternalistic engineering is directed at revealing and identifying invisibles structures in the field of cultural heritage. The welfare state engineering had its highlights in the planning era of the 1960s and the 1970s, and today culture as a beneficial factor for both citizens and society is labelled utilitarian engineering.

Keywords:

• Social engineering
• paternalism
• perfectionism
• active neutrality
• welfare state

Notes

1. Social engineering can be interpreted in any many different ways. Besides the society oriented conceptions, social engineering is used to denominate the art of manipulation people, so that they give up confidential information, used by hackers (criminals) for example to fool people to giving up their password (www.webroot.com/us/en/home/resouces/tips/inline-shopping-banking/secure).

2. Examples of reports were, At Any Price (Till varje pris 1978), A Contribution in the Debate About the Commercialization of Leisure (Debattinlägg om fritidens kommersialisering, 1978), Blows and Caressing. Threatening Reading – on Youth Magazines (Smockor och smek, h hoo smek.Hotande läsning – om ungdomstidningar, (Jalakas 1980) and Not for Sale (Ej till salu 1983).

3. In this article I have no ambitions to explain this phenomenon. Foremost because I have not made any systematic studies about debates and discussions and the concrete policy outcomes, besides that, my empirical material are not systematically chosen for this purpose.