...is defined as a discipline in social science that refers to efforts to influence particular attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale, whether by governments, media or private groups in order to produce desired characteristics in a target population. Social engineering can also be understood philosophically as a deterministic phenomenon where the intentions and goals of the architects of the new social construct are realized.

Are we being socially engineered today? Perhaps we've always been subject to it?The media has focused heavily on presenting mixed race and gay couples in advertising. While there's nothing inherently wrong with the concept of mixed race and gay couples the manipulation behind this is apparent. We have been incrementally desensitized to so many things that would have been taboo a mere few decades ago.

While it can be argued that acceptance of such things is a sign of a progressive and enlightened society I still resent being manipulated like a lab rat.

Thoughts, if any?

IMO, the media isn't showing more "mixed race" or "gay couples" ,etc..., today because it cares, it does it because of money. Now, I do agree that once taboo things are now more mainstream, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, IMO, most media's priority isn't necessarily to promote that, but to cash in on it.

(10-17-2019 08:15 AM)VA49er Wrote:  IMO, the media isn't showing more "mixed race" or "gay couples" ,etc..., today because it cares, it does it because of money. Now, I do agree that once taboo things are now more mainstream, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, IMO, most media's priority isn't necessarily to promote that, but to cash in on it.

No doubt about that but the concept of social engineering is evident even if it isn't necessarily intentional. As far as I'm concerned it's the epitome of pandering.

While the term is relatively new, we have always been "socially engineered".

Yellow journalism is widely accepted as a major cause of World War 1 as the media tycoons battled for market share. With the advent of the internet, the market has rapidly shrunk over the last 25 years as the contributors have rapidly grown with this new means of communication. We are simply seeing a repeat of the turn of the pervious century.

Government has always engineered as well. Blue laws, tax laws and loopholes, local real estate zoning and ordinances... all designed to move behavior.

Higher education... need I say more. As bad as it is now, seems just about every violent protest in the 60s took place on a college campus.

Religion... regardless of whether or not you believe, churches are social engineering outfits by nature. They provide the framework of how their members are supposed to try to live.

Only difference now is with so many divorces, single mothers and absent dads, and broken families, some of these institutions have more influence and power than ever while religion is changing to fight for a waning market share to the point that some are simply becoming an extension of government and higher education. Just listen to Mayor Pete!

The question is who do you want to do the engineering?

(10-17-2019 08:33 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  While the term is relatively new, we have always been "socially engineered".

Yellow journalism is widely accepted as a major cause of World War 1 as the media tycoons battled for market share. With the advent of the internet, the market has rapidly shrunk over the last 25 years as the contributors have rapidly grown with this new means of communication. We are simply seeing a repeat of the turn of the pervious century.

Government has always engineered as well. Blue laws, tax laws and loopholes, local real estate zoning and ordinances... all designed to move behavior.

Higher education... need I say more. As bad as it is now, seems just about every violent protest in the 60s took place on a college campus.

Religion... regardless of whether or not you believe, churches are social engineering outfits by nature. They provide the framework of how their members are supposed to try to live.

Only difference now is with so many divorces, single mothers and absent dads, and broken families, some of these institutions have more influence and power than ever while religion is changing to fight for a waning market share to the point that some are simply becoming an extension of government and higher education. Just listen to Mayor Pete!

The question is who do you want to do the engineering?

I know it's nothing new but I guess I'm just noticing it more these days. It seems like the last 10 years or so are so radically different than what I grew up with that it's just more apparent.

I can't speak for cross-cultural or interracial couples being shown more, but as for homosexual couples being shown more on TV and in commercials, there has always been a higher representation of the Gay population in the entertainment industries, so it's relatively natural they'll get onto screens more now that it is more accepted.

(10-17-2019 08:04 AM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  ...is defined as a discipline in social science that refers to efforts to influence particular attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale, whether by governments, media or private groups in order to produce desired characteristics in a target population. Social engineering can also be understood philosophically as a deterministic phenomenon where the intentions and goals of the architects of the new social construct are realized.

Are we being socially engineered today? Perhaps we've always been subject to it?The media has focused heavily on presenting mixed race and gay couples in advertising. While there's nothing inherently wrong with the concept of mixed race and gay couples the manipulation behind this is apparent. We have been incrementally desensitized to so many things that would have been taboo a mere few decades ago.

While it can be argued that acceptance of such things is a sign of a progressive and enlightened society I still resent being manipulated like a lab rat.

Thoughts, if any?

To some extent its simple marketing. They are marketing to those groups.

i find the prevalence of mixed race couples in ads annoying because its such a small % in real life. It seems like virtue signaling rather than actual marketing.

(10-17-2019 08:04 AM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  ...is defined as a discipline in social science that refers to efforts to influence particular attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale, whether by governments, media or private groups in order to produce desired characteristics in a target population. Social engineering can also be understood philosophically as a deterministic phenomenon where the intentions and goals of the architects of the new social construct are realized.

Which I consider to be an immoral and despicable way to operate.

(10-17-2019 11:27 AM)bullet Wrote:  i find the prevalence of mixed race couples in ads annoying because its such a small % in real life. It seems like virtue signaling rather than actual marketing.

People have thought something similar every time new groups are being marketed to. The reality is that in this hyper data-focused world, 1% is BIG. It’s millions of people.