AMERICAN CULTURAL THEMES AND SOCIAL WORK 291 private lives. To her, personality development is effective methods for inculcating norms of con- the chief value, provided always of course that it duct. The new social learning theory stresses the is not used to anti-social ends. Whether social work greater efficacy of rewards as against punishment is cause or effect in the process of change is not in bringing about desired modifications in behavior. 6 important. The indications are that a new basis Experiments in group therapy have indicated the for optimism is being sought. In a stabilized ways in which a permissive atmosphe contributes nomy, not everyone can secure a sense of to the ability of the troubled personality to use his achievement through material rewards greater own initiative in working out a more satisfying than his neighbor has obtained. But most indi- adjustment to reality. The social worker finds the viduals can grow in sensitivity to other people, core culture unduly inhibitory of normal human apacity for enjoyment, maturity in understand- responses, especially to unsatisfactory situations. ing, and conscious awareness of their own develop- She has become convinced that the fundamental nent. It is at least possible to conceive that satis- and essential demands of the social order can be factions from the possession of things are being satisfied without as much sacrifice of the indi- eplaced in larger measure than in the past, by viduals potentialities for growth as the mass tisfactions derived from the enrichment of culture requires. What is more important from rsonal life the point of view of culture change is that, in company with many other professionals, she tries to share her tolerance with parents as they face It is at this point that social work makes one of the behavior of their children. It seems probable its most significant breaks with naive culture. moral codes are being redefined and made less The core culture is characterized by a rigid and repressive moral code, especially in regard to sex repressive at the lower middle class level relations. Relief agencies had their own nineteenth RATIONALISM century variant of this puritanic ethic. They de- manded of their beneficiaries, industry, thrift Karl Mannheim discusses the difference between gratitude,and,after the temperance movement what he calls functional rationalization and sub- got under way, sobriety, and were vocal in their stantial rationality. Rationalization of the indi- disapproval of behavior not appropriate, from vidual takes place when he is fitted, more or less their point of view, for "objects of charity as an automaton, into a functionally rational series The modern social worker has been thoroughly of actions. Substantial rationality exists in its most trained in non-judgmental attitudes and has learned to accept, at least without outward signs able to control his own impulses but also to view of distaste, behavior which would have seemed to himself objectively and to understand why he her morally reprehensible before she entered a behaves as he does. Mannheim,'s criticism of an orofessional school. Her greater tolerance stems industrial society arises from the fact that it in- artly from an understanding of deviant behavior creases the functional rationalization of its mem nore profound than the ordinary citizen possesses. bers, without adding appreciably to their sub- Perhaps it would be more correct to say, in the stantial rationality. That way lies mass society, light of the Kinsey report that social workers are ahuge instrument to be wielded by any power-mad fully aware of the fact that the range of normal demagogue behavior is much broader than the ideal patterns Social workers would subscribe to Mannheim,'s imply. A more realistic appraisal of the current position that modern man is not inevitably situation keeps her from finding fault with conduct For the Yale theory of social learning, see Neale that occurs in life much more frequently than in Miller and John Dollard, Social Learning and imitation conventional thinking (New Haven, 1941); John Dollard, "The Acquisition The social worker also differs from the of New Social Habits, " in Ralph Linton(ed), T/ of the core culture in her assessment of the Science of Man in the World Crisis(New York, 1943 Pp. 442-464. See also the reference in footnote 2. 5 An excellent illustration of this is found in the ca 7S. R. Slavson has done most to publicize the de- of Helen Johnson, reported in Florence Hollis, Social velopments in group therapy. Case Work in Practice: Six Case Studies(New York, 8 Karl Mannheim, Man and Society in an Age of 1939),chap.5. Recon struction (New York, 1940), pp 51-60.AMERICAN CULTURAL THEMES AND SOCIAL WORK 291 private lives. To her, personality development is the chief value, provided always of course that it is not used to anti-social ends. Whether social work is cause or effect in the process of change is not important. The indications are that a new basis for optimism is being sought. In a stabilized economy, not everyone can secure a sense of achievement through material rewards greater than his neighbor has obtained. But most indi￾viduals can grow in sensitivity to other people, capacity for enjoyment, maturity in understand￾ing, and conscious awareness of their own develop￾ment. It is at least possible to conceive that satis￾factions from the possession of things are being replaced in larger measure than in the past, by satisfactions derived from the enrichment of personal life. MORAL PURPOSE It is at this point that social work makes one of its most significant breaks with naive culture. The core culture is characterized by a rigid and repressive moral code, especially in regard to sex relations. Relief agencies had their own nineteenth century variant of this puritanic ethic. They de￾manded of their beneficiaries, industry, thrift, gratitude, and, after the temperance movement got under way, sobriety, and were vocal in their disapproval of behavior not appropriate, from their point of view, for "objects of charity." The modern social worker has been thoroughly trained in non-judgmental attitudes and has learned to accept, at least without outward signs of distaste, behavior which would have seemed to her morally reprehensible before she entered a professional school.5 Her greater tolerance stems partly from an understanding of deviant behavior more profound than the ordinary citizen possesses. Perhaps it would be more correct to say, in the light of the Kinsey report, that social workers are fully aware of the fact that the range of normal behavior is much broader than the ideal patterns imply. A more realistic appraisal of the current situation keeps her from finding fault with conduct that occurs in life much more frequently than in conventional thinking. The social worker also differs from the carriers of the core culture in her assessment of the most effective methods for inculcating norms of con￾duct. The new social learning theory stresses the greater efficacy of rewards as against punishment, in bringing about desired modifications in behavior.6 Experiments in group therapy have indicated the ways in which a permissive atmosphere contributes to the ability of the troubled personality to use his own initiative in working out a more satisfying adjustment to reality.7 The social worker finds the core culture unduly inhibitory of normal human responses, especially to unsatisfactory situations. She has become convinced that the fundamental and essential demands of the social order can be satisfied without as much sacrifice of the indi￾vidual's potentialities for growth as the mass culture requires. What is more important from the point of view of culture change is that, in company with many other professionals, she tries to share her tolerance with parents as they face the behavior of their children. It seems probable that, in this process of parent guidance, American moral codes are being redefined and made less repressive at the lower middle class level. RATIONALISM Karl Mannheim discusses the difference between what he calls functional rationalization and sub￾stantial rationality.8 Rationalization of the indi￾vidual takes place when he is fitted, more or less as an automaton, into a functionally rational series of actions. Substantial rationality exists in its most complete form, when the individual is not only able to control his own impulses but also to view himself objectively and to understand why he behaves as he does. Mannheim's criticism of an industrial society arises from the fact that it in￾creases the functional rationalization of its mem￾bers, without adding appreciably to their sub￾stantial rationality. That way lies mass society, ahugeinstrumenttobe wielded by any power-mad demagogue. Social workers would subscribe to Mannheim's position that modern man is not inevitably a 5 An excellent illustration of this is found in the case of Helen Johnson, reported in Florence Hollis, Social Case Work in Practice: Six Case Studies (New York, 1939), chap. 5. 6 For the Yale theory of social learning, see Neale Miller and John Dollard, Social Learning and Imitation (New Haven, 1941); John Dollard, "The Acquisition of New Social Habits," in Ralph Linton (ed.), The Science of Man in the World Crisis (New York, 1943) pp. 442-464. See also the reference in footnote 2. 7 S. R. Slavson has done most to publicize the de￾velopments in group therapy. 8 Karl Mannheim, Man and Society in an Age of Reconstruction (New York, 1940), pp. 51-60