Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Scheel, J.W.

Thomas, Marion D.

English

Research Papers in Economics

THE  "GREAT  DECISIONS"  PROGRAM  IN  OREGON
J.  W.  Scheel,  Assistant  Director of  Extension
and M.  D.  Thomas,  Extension Economist
Oregon State  College
Oregon's  experience  with the  Great  Decisions  program  of  dis-
cussion  groups  on  foreign  policy  issues  shows  that  many  people
are  interested  in  intellectual  questions.  The  Great  Decisions  pro-
gram has  been  successfully  carried  on  in all sections  of  our  state,
and it  has reached  both urban  and  rural  people.
This program  is sponsored  nationally by the Foreign Policy  As-
sociation.  The  fact  sheet  materials  used  by  discussion  groups
are  prepared  and  published  by  this  association.  Each  year,  the
program  covers  eight  different issues  in the field  of  foreign  policy
in  a series  of weekly  discussions  in  February  and March.  For this
past  season  the issues  were:
Communist Timetable for 1960-What Odds?
Divided Europe-Cooperation or Crisis?
Red China on the March-What U. S. Action?
What Chances  for India's Middle Way?
Middle East-What Hope for Stability?
What Goals for Africa's New Leaders?
Cuba's Revolution-Reform  or Fiasco?
U. S. Global Strategy-What  Outlook in 1960?
These  issues  were  explained  in  a  set of  fact  sheets  that  could
be  purchased  for  a  dollar.  People  organized  in  discussion  groups
and  used  the  fact  sheets  as  study  guides  on  which  to  base  their
discussions. Newspaper  feature articles and radio and TV programs
were used  to  focus  public attention  on  the  issue  of  the week  and
to  convey  background  information  that  would  supplement  the
fact  sheets.
About  4,000  adults  and 2,000  school  youth  have  participated  in
300  to 400  discussion  groups  each  year.  The intensity  of individual
interest  and  group  discussion  varied  widely.  Some  have  become
intensely interested  and highly stimulated  by the experience,  while
others  have undoubtedly felt  that this  was a  waste  of time.
Participation  in  the  Great  Decisions  program  appears  to  be
quite  directly  related  to  local  sponsorship  and  leadership.  One
keenly  interested  individual  may  be  sufficient  to  get  several  dis-
cussion  groups  started  in  a  community.  A  few  active  workers
may  suffice  to  get the program  going  on a  county-wide  basis.  The
140major  difference  between  a  county  where  the  program  succeeds
and another  county  in which  it makes no headway  at  all may  well
be  the simple  matter  of  interested  local  leadership.
Such  interested  local  leadership  has  to  be  sought.  Once  found,
it  will  expand  and  perpetuate  itself  if  the  program  is  satisfying.
Sometimes  the  needed  leaders  will  appear  as  volunteers  in  re-
sponse  to  publicity,  but  personal  visiting  is  a  more  dependable
method.
Operation of a discussion  group  program  of this nature  through
existing  organizations  in  the  community  was  found  to  be  im-
practical.  For example,  one of the objectives  of the Rotary  Club is
the  improvement  of  international  understanding.  But  this  does
not automatically  mean  that  the Rotary  Club  will  devote  a series
of  its  weekly  programs  to  the  Great  Decisions  issues  or  that  a
substantial  number  of  discussion  groups  can  be  organized  within
the  Rotary  membership.  You  will  be  lucky  to  get  one  Rotary
luncheon  program  devoted  to  Great  Decisions,  and  you  will  be
lucky to get  one discussion  group  of  Rotarians  organized.  A factor
of  "selective  interest"  has  to  be  taken  into  account  in  setting  up
the organization  for  discussion  groups.
Some  people  are attracted  by  the idea  of  discussion  groups  on
foreign  affairs;  others find  the  same  project  either  dull  or fright-
ening.  The  key  to  success  lies  in  finding  some  interested  people
and enlisting them to find others. The first year's experience makes
the  job  easier  the  second  time.  Some  leaders  will  stay  with  the
program  year  after  year  because  they  enjoy  it  and  because  they
get  a  sense  of  constructive  accomplishment  from  working  on  it.
Some  new  blood  will  be  needed  each  year,  however.  Also  a  con-
siderable  turnover  will  take  place  in the  membership  of  the  dis-
cussion  groups  from  one  year  to  the  next.
Many  people  who  will not  join  a  discussion  group  do  pay  at-
tention to the program  through reading  news articles  on the issues
and watching  TV  presentations  regarding them.  The  fact that  dis-
cussion  groups  exist is  undoubtedly  a factor  in  stimulating  a great
deal  of thinking among other  people.  The end result is  some  effect
upon  public  attitudes  regarding  some  broad  questions  of  national
policy.  This effect  may be  a simple  "speeding up"  of developments
that  would  take  place  anyway  because  of  what  is  happening  in
the  world.  The  Great  Decisions  program  is  not  the  only  avenue
through  which  our  citizens  have  access  to  information  on  these
questions.
141Agencies  that  sponsor  discussion  groups  on  public  affairs  is-
sues  will  find  that  their  motives  are  suspect  and  their  pedigrees
subject  to  scrutiny.  We  regard this  as  logical  and  an  encouraging
sign  of  interest  in  the  functioning  of  a  democracy.  People  want
to  know  who  is trying  to  influence  them  and  why.
In the case  of  the Great  Decisions  program  in  Oregon,  the  Ex-
tension Service  did not find  itself  subject  to extensive  questioning
-because  the  agency  was  quite  widely  known  and  its reputation
for honesty  and accuracy  was well established.  But  we  found  that
we  needed  to  explain  what  the  Foreign  Policy  Association  was
and  why it  was  sponsoring  this  program  nationally.  Some  people
were fearful that the  Great Decisions program was  a device  of the
Communists  to  infiltrate  American  thinking  and  weaken  our
efforts  in the  Cold  War.
A  program  of  group  discussions  on  agricultural  adjustment
would  quite  conceivably  face  similar  questions  and  explanation
of  its  parentage  might  be  equally  necessary.  Certain  city  groups
might logically  presume  that  the purpose  of  the undertaking  was
to  sell  a  certain  bill  of  goods  for  the  farmers-and  some  farm
groups  might  presume  that  the  undertaking  was  intended  to  sell
the  program  of  another  organization  rather  than  their  own.
In this connection, the  skill of the writers who draft fact  sheets
and  opinion  ballots  has to  be  of  a high  order  if the materials  are
to be truly objective.  Biases  and habits of thought  have a tendency
to show in selection  of facts  and phrasing  of questions.  If  the ma-
terial obviously is slanted,  its  value is greatly impaired.
142PART  V
Economic Growth

THE "GREAT DECISIONS" PROGRAM IN OREGON

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Research Papers in Economics