As the Pillars together constitute the system as most people recognise it, I argued above that significant cultural change is needed before any meaningful change will be perceived by the Focus Group.
It can also be said without fear of too much contradiction that the culture of the Pillars seeps into many ventures that are set up initially as initiatives to include very distressed and isolated people and families.
This is mostly true for statutory ventures, which, due to the fact that they are a component part of a Pillar, are that way anyway, but it also affects voluntary organisations quite a lot. I have many examples of this. Other people may have too.
It is worth spending a little time exploring this influence further and how it manifests.
Most community initiatives that aim to help troubled families are started by people who are concerned enough, and are living within communities most affected by whatever issue that they are concerned about in the first place [1]. However, in order to be successful in whatever venture that they embark upon they need to get the Pillars (i.e. statutory agencies, academic researchers, and/or political interests etc.) on board to assist them. They may sometimes think that the media would be of assistance also.
Very often the community is not as coherent or clear as the Pillars but it needs them or parts of them, to get funding, guidance, credibility, status, etc. The community has enthusiasm and that is a great start.
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Let us consider the Community and the Pillars to be two intersecting circles (like the mathematical Venn Diagram) with the space occupied by both circles as the place where the system and the community interact, depicted in the diagrams below.
In other words, what each is willing to disclose to the other so that the venture upon which the Community wishes to embark gets off the ground, and ultimately becomes successful, and those elements of the Pillars that are supporting it are satisfied with the result of their investment.
It is usual that in the beginning this space is occupied by the interests representing the community. After all, the Community invites the Pillars because they need assistance in getting whatever it is up and running. However, in the beginning, the Community will usually only show the Pillars what they want to see. If it puts too much of itself into the space it intuitively knows that the more cautious elements within the Pillars will be frightened off. Those who wish to do something are aware of the characteristics of the Pillars i.e. what they really want, so they present a coherent and organised front even though they know that this might not represent the entirety of what their interest or concern is.
Over time, the space occupied jointly by the Community and the system becomes dominated by the system. This is represented in the Figures 1 to 4. Initially, (as in Fig 1), there is equal sharing. (After all, the Pillars might also need the community to do work that is too messy for them to take on). However, (like all long-term relationships), after some time the realities of the Community become apparent to the Pillars and vice versa, as in Fig 2.
When this happens the system almost always imposes its values and norms on the activities, ventures, initiatives, etc. that the Community proposes. Gradually, the Pillars begin to assert themselves. (This is represented in Fig 2 – but we can see that the community is still visible to an outside observer).
Fig 3 can come about after something negative happens due to a decision made by a community person, or a proposal that a community person brings that is too far out, or maybe someone says something that is politically incorrect. Or – more commonly – it can happen in a gradual way over many years as quick-thinking professionals who want to get-things-done dominate the inevitable debates and arguments that accompany growth and development. Over time, the community becomes less visible. Eventually the entire venture becomes dominated by the Pillars (like Fig 4) as they take over and instruct the community as to what it can – but mostly what it cannot – do.
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Sometimes people who might have competence in particular areas are prevented from benefiting from opportunities that might arise within their community because they do not comply with the demands made by the Pillars. These could be educational, financial, even historical. What I mean by historical is someone who might have been to prison, or where so-called soft information is known about them which tarnishes their reputation in the eyes of the Pillars.
It is likely that frustration and/or anger will arise from such sidelining because many people in the community perceive those working in the Pillars (some in the most prestigious and highly rewarded professions in the country [2]) to be entitled to many advantages and/or short cuts that are not available to those who are less advantaged.
I personally have experienced children and young people not being protected because elements within the Pillars would not allow the community to be creative and felt that a proposed course of action was too risky whereas all it needed was a little common-sense monitoring and encouragement.
[1]. This is why they get involved – it affects them personally. What better motivation is that?
[2]. Professions which, from the perspective of the average community person, have always been unattainable anyway.