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Chapter 7
Societal Dilemmas: Finding a Balance
By Fredricka L. Stoller
This chapter explores one of the complexities of civil societies, specifically the tensions that exist between the values, needs, and interests of individuals, on one hand, and the values, needs, and interests of society at large, on the other. Civil societies are constantly struggling to find a balance between these two powerful forces (i.e., individuals and society). Both forces play an important role in shaping communities and nations, and both have the potential to strengthen or weaken communities and nations.
In the following lesson, students consider several societal dilemmas that exemplify the tensions that can exist between individuals and society. While exploring these dilemmas, students learn a new set of concepts, become familiar with associated vocabulary, and have multiple opportunities to improve their language skills. Because the topic is so broad, it has the potential for being explored from multiple perspectives and in different ways. Teachers have the option of using the proposed lesson for a single, stand-alone class, or they can expand upon the proposed lesson to create a series of connected lessons that explore the topic in greater detail. They can also develop a thematic unit that examines the topic from a variety of perspectives over a longer period of time. The lesson plan ideas presented here are meant to serve as a starting point for teachers interested in introducing the topic of "Societal dilemmas: Finding a balance" to their students.
Societies are complex; their complexity is partially due to the fact that they comprise two separate, but overlapping, components:
- individuals with their own values, desires, and needs
- groups of individuals with common interests, religion, values, educational backgrounds, socioeconomic status, political orientations, and other factors
When merged together, these two components--individuals and groups of individuals--form a society. Interestingly, societies, as free-standing entities, have their own sets of needs and priorities, distinct from those of individuals and groups of individuals.
The presence of two other separate, but overlapping, entities, the government and its citizens, adds to the complexity of societies. In a civil society, the government and its citizens have two major responsibilities: The promotion of the common good (that is, the well being of society) and the protection of individual rights. This dual responsibility often results in tensions, conflicts, and contradictions. In civil societies, it is not uncommon to witness tensions between
- personal responsibilities and civic responsibilities
- individual needs and societal needs
- individual interests and societal interests
- individual priorities and societal priorities
- individual values and societal values
For a civil society to function, the government and its citizens must strive to find a balance between these competing perspectives. To maintain a civil society, personal desires and interests often have to be subordinated to the public good. This means that the well being of society must take precedence over the needs of individuals or small groups of individuals. This "balancing act" often leads to situations in which the government and its citizens must choose between two alternative positions, one which caters more to the individual and the other which caters to the society. The need to choose between two alternative possibilities results in a wide range of societal dilemmas.
A sampling of societal dilemmas is listed below. These dilemmas share at least one common feature - the fact that there are always at least two sides to every issue, at least two alternatives from which to choose, or at least two different solutions to a given problem. This duality of possibilities creates the dilemmas faced by many civil societies.
Consider these examples:
Societal dilemma #1: Individual beliefs versus majority rule
Societal dilemma #2: The need to obey the law versus the right to dissent
Societal dilemma #3: The appreciation for cultural variety versus the need for cultural unity
Societal dilemma #4: Individual rights versus the concern for public safety
Societal dilemma #5: The need for national security versus the right for individuals to have access to information
Societal dilemma #6: The desirability for free enterprise versus the need for public planning
Societal dilemma #7: Global business versus national interests
Societal dilemma #8: Local control versus national control
Societal dilemma #9: Power of the people versus power of the government
Societal dilemma #10: Right to privacy versus the right of the public to know
These dilemmas represent just a few of the tensions that can exist in civil societies. In countries that have experienced similar dilemmas, one major challenge, faced by governments and citizens, centers on finding a balance, which meets the needs of individuals and society.
