What is the Problem? Where is the Work? Getting to the Bottom of Social Action

Abstract

What is the problem? Where is the problem? To policy analysts, organization researchers, and others - What is the problem is meant as both question(s) and a statement - The questions: What are the problems we're dealing with? What kinds of problems are these? As a statement: We're dealing with complex social environments, but, when it comes to getting things done, we're not looking at the real issues. Social researchers, analysts, policy makers, and managers operate in a make-believe world and deal with imaginary problems. Where is the problem: The line I'm going to take is that if we ask where the problems are we'll come to see what the problems are the kinds of issues we're dealing with and how to get to grips with them.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 20, 2010
Accession Number
ADA535945

Entities

People

  • Mark Addleson

Organizations

  • George Mason University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Boundaries
  • Governments
  • Information Operations
  • Military Operations
  • New York
  • Nonlinear Dynamics
  • Operations Research
  • Public Policy
  • Social Environment
  • Social Sciences
  • United States Central Command
  • Universities

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Systems Analysis and Design