Metaphors of Alternation: their significance for development policy-making

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Metaphors of Alternation

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Subseqently incorporated into Policy Alternation for Development (1984), pp. 175-202. Formed the basis of the section on metaphors in the Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential. [searchable PDF version]

Each development policy may be considered as a particular "answer" to the social problématique. No such answer appears to be free from weaknesses. A shift to an alternative policy becomes progressively more necessary as the effects of these weaknesses accumulate. Since each such policy is a "language" or mindset whereby a world-view is organized, no adequate "logical" framework can exist to facilitate comprehension of the nature of such a shift or the transition between alternatives. Many familiar metaphors of alternation exist through which the characteristics of such a shift may however be understood. In considering them it is appropriate to reflect on those which have a developmental feature and on the distinctions between alternation, oscillation, vacillation or variation.

Index to Alternation Metaphors

Active/Passive roles * 27 Active/Passive roles * 18 Activities of person * 13 Activity shifts 8 Alluring movement 42 Alternators * 46 Animal life cycles 37 Appropriate gestures * 14 Attention focus * 26 Attention holding * 12 Attention holding * 33 Attention management * 12 Behaviour, good/bad * 38 Blending themes * 5 Brainwashing * 27 Breathing 2 Cepheid variable stars * 44 Ceremonial patterns 14 Chairperson rotation * 7 Challenge/Reinforcement * 27 Climbing 40 Climbing * 1 Composition 33 Contrast, significance 26 Contrasting topics * 6 Conversation shifts 6 Conversation, exchange * 9 Conversation, topics * 6 Crop rotation 47 Cycles, animal life * 37 Cycles, festival * 24 Cycles, mechanical * 46 Cycles, psycho-symbolic * 25 Cyclic migration 23 Cyclo-synchrotron * 46 Cylinder motion * 46 Daily activity round 13 Dance 34 Deviation management * 31 Dining 41 Dramatic theme shifts * 5 Driving 31 Dynamo * 46 Educational technique * 27 Encounters of people * 9 Exercise/Rest 3 Eye scanning * 26 Fashion variation 19 Festival cycles * 24 Figure/ground shift * 26 Fitting gestures * 14 Flying 32 Food variation at meals * 41 Gaining/Losing 16 Game participation * 15 Game scenarios * 29 Games, shell * 39 Gamesmanship 21 Good/Bad behaviour 38 Individual activities * 13 Individual mood shifts 11 Influence cycles * 25

Initiative in games * 21 Initiative shifts * 16 Interaction of persons * 9 Intercourse, discussion * 9 Intercourse, sexual * 18 Interpersonal exchanges 9 Interrogation technique * 27 Juggling 35 Life cycles, animal * 37 Literary theme shifts * 5 Management of projects * 36 Mechanical cycles 46 Media diets 12 Migration, cyclic * 23 Molecular resonance 43 Momentum maintenance * 1 Mood shifts * 11 Motor * 46 Movement in dance * 34 Movement, alluring * 42 Music, composition * 33 Musical variations 45 Office rotation * 7 Ownership scheduling * 20 Party design 10 Passing the buck * 16 Patterns of activity * 8 Pendulum movement * 46 Performance variation * 45 Performance/Practice * 4 Persuasion/Pressure * 27 Phasing projects * 36 Physical position shift 17 Position shifting * 17 Possession of advantage * 21 Practice/Performance 4 Pressure/Persuasion * 27 Programming in media * 12 Project phasing 36 Psycho-symbolic cycles 25 Pulsating stars 44 Pump * 46 Readership diets * 12 Reinforcement/Challenge * 27 Relationship sharing 22 Relationship shifts * 9 Religious festivals 24 Resonance, molecular * 43 Resource sharing 20 Respiratory cycle * 2 Responsibility shifts * 22 Rest/Exercise * 3 Rotating chairmanship 7 Salon dynamics * 10 Scanning * 26 Scenario possibilities * 29 Scheduling access * 20 Scheduling participants * 15 Scheduling programmes * 12 Se [Parts: Next | Last | All] [Links: To-K | From-K | From-Kx ] This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License For further updates on this site, subscribe here