co-figurative society

is a society wherein neither the old are made irrelevant nor are the young are held back from social and technological change. Rather everyone is learning from one another.

Once formed, tastes and attitudes are difficult to change, although social pressure, rewards, experience, and philosophical convictions sometimes cause this. Another factor is what Margaret Mead referred to as the pre-figurative vs. post-figurative society. In a pre-figurative (traditional) society, the skills, values, and knowledge of older members continue to have importance and the persons themselves to be useful in the community. In a post-figurative (modern) society, older people's experience and abilities are rendered irrelevant by rapid technological and social change. They themselves are disrespected unless they are wealthy. Levi-Strauss calls this contrast 'cold' versus 'hot' systems of thought. The ideal would be something like a co-figurative society, in which everybody was learning together with no sacrifice of persons whose capabilities fell out of date. (net)

co figurative society, n.All

co figurative society