It is noted that sociol has often been criticized for not dealing adequately with soc change. A description is presented of change in US society from the 19th cent to its present advanced, industr, technological & integrated state. The hope is expressed that sociol may be on the verge of important advances in systematic substantive theory & may build at least partial deductive systems accounting for a large variety of soc phenomena in terms of quite simple structures. A Bibliog. A. Peskin.
Values, defined as generalized criteria of desirability, are deeply involved in all of the specialized areas treated in this issue. There remains a need to render explicit the first-order tasks for making data on values a viable part of societal selfawareness & self-direction, in an age of Great Societies. Values are important causal components in individual conduct & in the functioning of soc systems. To develop adequate indicators for the needed analysis will require major efforts & much ingenuity. Yet practicable methods already are available for the systematic empirical study of values. Because of the lack in the past of standardized measures & comprehensive reporting, the existing data are scanty, fragmentary, & diffuse. Yet cautious & imaginative use of existing information has added to our knowledge of distinctive value patterns in the US, & some illuminating comparisons have been made with other societies. Better data & more explicit analysis of value problems will enhance effectiveness of goal-achievement, widen the scope of awareness in decision-making, & provide enhanced capacities for sensing limits & hazards in current societal trends & policies. That new problems thereby will be created is inevitable, & not undesirable. HA.
Relations of values to unconventional warfare (UW) may be analyzed at 3 levels: (1) decision-making & policy at the nat'l level, (2) generalized PO, & (3) formation &use of special military forces. Attention is concentrated on (3). It is argued that the main US values are not incompatible with UW at the operational level, but that conflicts of values do result in uncertainty & ambiguity in nat'l policy. Certain common beliefs and stereotypes about UW are found to be in need of critical examination. US value-systems tend to stress ethical individualism & Active Mastery of Life. Values of technical competence & achievement would be important in the behavior of the highly selected & specially trained US forces which would participate in UW. Convictions concerning the justice of the nation's position, coupled with group involvement & the values attached to teamwork, are important in the behavior of US forces. Understanding of the complex nat'l value-pattern can aid in determining basic policy concerning UW. AA.
A questionnaire study of a weighted cross-section of 2,975 male undergraduates of 11 US Coll. on the question of attitudes toward the Korean war. Responses to a 3-item Guttman attitudes toward the Korean War scale (CofR .96) and 7-item Guttman scale (CofR .94) of willingness to enter the army, is inspected in relation to 3 dimensions: (1) Ideological conviction-general value orientation toward political matters, (2) Partisan allegiance-Ss specific position on controversial political problems, and (3) Political knowledge-grades achieved, general information, and scores on the Selective Service College Qualification Test. Findings: (1) 'The more one believes we are fighting for an ideal, the more favorably is the Korean situation viewed.' (2) Interventionist students are more, isolationist students less favorable in their attitudes. (3) Political knowledge is related to ideological conviction in that, the more idealistic, and the more knowledge about world affairs Ss possess, the more favorable they are toward the Korean situation. (4) The more favorably the Korean situation is viewed, the more favorable is the Ss to being called into service. Amount of knowledge of current events does not affect attitude toward serving. Faith in the UN, and political issues as a whole, are not related to attitude towards serving. It appears that favorable attitude towards military service is more a result of faith than of facts. (See SA 1, 413). L. P. Chall.
