Part 1 - Processing Knowledge: Pattern

Understanding reality requires identification of patterns and regularities in the world around us. Improving an ability to identify patterns enhances ability to make sense of complexity.

Part 2 - Processing Knowledge: Structure

Separating and identifying the parts of the world around us, parts that when grouped together make up reality’s structure, is also part of what we mean when we say, “I understand.”

Part 3 - Processing Knowledge: Relationships

To recognition of pattern and awareness of structure, add a third major meaning of understanding: a knowledge of relationship—the relationship of one part of reality to another, of parts to the whole— and awareness of the whole as a single, integrated thing.

Part 4 - Different Ways of Seeing

The patterns, structures, relationships and systems we’re trying to understand are “out there” in the world around us. How do we get an accurate version of them “in here”—in our heads? It seems to be a matter of paying close attention to our physical senses—touch, sight, hearing, etc.

Is it that simple? Apparently not. Pictures of what’s “out there” come to us through our senses, but the pictures aren’t the same for everyone. Each of us has been “programmed” to see some parts of reality and be blind to other parts.

Part 5 - Knowledge Processors: Societies

Groups of people who grow up and live most of their lives together construct shared views of the real world—mountains, rivers, trees, buildings, people, animals, and so on. Different groups have constructed different ways of viewing. Looking at some of these constructions will not only help us understand others, it will help us better understand ourselves.

Part 6 - Analyzing Societies

Once we have an accurate fix on a social system—where its boundaries are, and who fits within those boundaries—we can start trying to understand it. We can study its structure, trace its characteristic patterns, and explore relationships within it.

Part 7 - Modeling Societies

A six-part category system is our “natural” way to organize information about societies. The categories can be used to study any society.

Part 8 - Expanding the Model

Although disassembling something and categorizing the parts isn’t the only approach to understanding, it’s certainly an important technique. The next step is to take the parts apart.

And the next step is to take the parts of the parts apart, and then the parts of the parts of the parts, and so on.

Part 9 - Investigations in Demography

No society can maintain zero population growth indefinitely. The number of members is always increasing or decreasing, and both trends have important consequences for everyday life.

Part 10 - Investigations of Environment

The habitats that people build for themselves and the tools they use end up affecting their patterns of action, sometimes in surprising ways. In this section, you’ll look at some relationships between environment and behavior.

Part 11 - Investigations of Patterns of Action

Our own ways of acting are so familiar that we rarely “see” them clearly enough to describe and analyze them. Looking at contrasting patterns will help you see your own.

Part 12 - Investigations in Perceptions of Reality

Obviously, because they’re invisible, a society’s shared ways of thinking are harder than anything else to identify and understand. Looking at other societies’ perceptions of reality will provide some important clues to your own ideas, values and beliefs.

Part 13 - The Dynamics of Change

In a system, if you change one thing, other things will be affected. The relationships in a changing system can be simple or complex. Sometimes changes that seem simple and small can have very great effects. Causes of change can be multiple and cumulative. Complex changes can sometimes be self-reinforcing, or self-limiting.

Part 14 - Change and Stress

Some aspects of society, particularly perceptions and ways of acting, tend to be static, resisting change. Other aspects such as demography and environment frequently change in the normal course of events, with rippling effects.

When a society’s circumstances change, their perceptions of reality and ways of acting may no longer be appropriate. This almost always causes stress, conflict and difficulties.

Part 15 - Constructing New Knowledge

Taking things apart helps us understand them. Putting them back together and seeing how the whole is greater than the parts is, of course, essential to a deeper understanding.

But taking things apart and putting them back together isn’t the only option. The parts can often be put back together in new and different ways, or the same parts can be used to create something different. Changing the relationships between various parts of reality is the basic process by means of which both individual and collective human knowledge expands. The exploration of relationships should therefore be a major focus of educating.

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