Words'nTone

In my recently delivered paper, “Wasted Evangelism” (Mark 4): The Task of Evangelism and Social Action Outcomes,” I only brielfy defined what Social Action actually is.  I assumed a lot from my readers/listeners to fill in the blanks with commonly held understandings of the concept (e.g., advocating for the poor, seeking change in policy, systems, and social structures that harm the vulnerable, or seeking that there is adequate attention given to the poor and to issues of poverty).  In this post, I’d like to spend a little time explaining what I mean by Social Action.

P. Hovath, writing in an article, “The organization of social action” (Canadian Psychology-Psychologie Canadienne, 40(3), 1999: 221-231), defined Social Action as “participation in social issues to influence their outcome for the benefit of people and the community.” Furthermore, Hovath underscored the importance of bringing about necessary change on behalf of others: “Social action can, under favourable circumstances, produce actual empowerment, impact, or social change.”

In its sociological context, Social Action is about the interaction of individuals and groups and the change that happens as a result of such interaction.  According to Townley, Cooper, and Oaks, Social Action is the “pursuit of reason in human affairs” (“Performance Measures and the Rationalization of Organizations,” Organization Studies, 24(7), 2003: 1045-1072).  Others place the emphasis on concerns of structure and “the transparencies of intended ends,” as well as “the means to achieve those ends” (so M. Weber, Economy and Society (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1978).  Weber forms more of a sociology of knowledge definition, asserting that Social Action contains “the rational consideration of alternative means to the end, of the relations of the end to secondary consequences and finally of the relative importance of different possible end states” (Economy and Society, 78). 

Based on these, and especially Weber’s understanding, Social Action is that means (i.e., action) by which one group offers alterative means to a different end for another group, the formation of action and policy for dealing with social issues, in this case, specifically issues of poverty.  Within the context of poverty, Social Action is not simply charity, alms-giving, or the transfer of wealth.  Social Action, as a term and concept, is associated with actions taken by individuals or groups on behalf of others, and in particular advocating on behalf of the marginalized or powerless individuals or groups whose access to the systems of power are prohibitive or unavailable.

It seems like Social Action is often defined generically as a philosophy and process, then with further explanation, moves the thought toward what “it” does and who does “it” (e.g., social action workers are committed to social justice).  Some define Social Action as simply social policy reform (i.e., socio-economic reform); some, simply as working for social justice (but then leave the concept of “social justice” undefined or open-ended).  I like one website that suggested that Social Action is people working alone or together, acting for the benefit of others and for society.

In my paper, “Wasted Evangelism,” I posited that since the Kingdom of God provides the framework and definition of what evangelism actually is, it was natural, actually biblical, that Social Action be a relevant and legitmate evangelistic activity (with or without outcomes of individual conversions).  I utilized the OT, specifically the context of Exodus 21-23, since Mark hinges his understanding of the Gospel in that OT context (cf. Mark 1:1-3), to undergird the importance of considering the poor in relationship to the Christian’s social context.  I pointed out that the Exodus land-laws were operating behind Mark’s programmatic theme, which were given “to ensure that the vulnerable (i.e., the land-less) were full participants in the benefits of living in the land.” This led to my most obvious definition for Social Action:

“Social Action is a means to ensure that the blessings and benefits of living in society reach to the poor.”

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Next, a short post on why Social Action needs to be self-less and altruistic, and why it can’t be just charity and the tansfer of wealth.

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