CHANGING SOCIETY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 95, 18 April 1941, Page 7

CHANGING SOCIETY

New Winter Course Series From 1YA If we, as democratic citizens, are concerned with redeeming democracy from its present crucial position, we must learn to understand to the best of our ability the evolution and the workings of our society. By so doing, we can become intelligent and effective rulers of our destiny. To stimulate the understanding and interest of the ordinary listener in ‘these elusive ideas is the primary object of the second series of Winter Course talks, "Changing Society," which will begin from 1YA on April 24. Planning the series is Professor A. B. Fitt, who holds the chair of education at Auckland University College. Professor Fitt obtained his Ph.D. degree at the University of Leipzig, the home of the philosopher Leibnitz and also famous at the time Professor Fitt was there for the then unique experimental laboratory of the psychologist Wundt. Professor Fitt’s first talk will be on the "Changing State" and his last, "Is Man Changing?" will be a discussion on the ever-popular theme, the possibility that "human nature" is evolving. Other talks will be contributed to the series by P. Martin Smith, who is to speak on "The Changing Family" and "The Changing Conception of Property"; Eric Price, who describes "Change in the Community"; and H. R. Rodwell, who takes an opposing point of view in his talk on "Change in Environment." In the phrase of Prof. Fitt, these speakers. are not "manipulators of society, but sociologists." In other words, they do not describe methods by which society can be changed. They rather portray the actual conditions under which society has evolved to its present position, thus providing the listener with a basis of forecast as to its future evolution.