LearningfromIllich(butnotonlyfromhim…)

HuwThomas,SchoolofGeographyandPlanning,Cardiff

University

Thispaper’srationaleRatherthanassumingthevalueofplanningandthenderivingthespecificationofa‘modelcitizen’,whatifwe….

setoutwhatconstitutesadignifiedexistenceandseewhatkindofplanningiscompatiblewithandsupportiveofthat.

This– theapproachofIvanIllich - maybeausefulcorrectivetoarather‘gung-ho’valorisationofplanningthatiscurrent.

(UK)Planning– bloodied,butfightingback

• AfterdecadesofcriticismfromLeftandRight,businessinterests,residents’groups,politicians,journalists…andacademics,…

• Signsofareactionamongplanningacademics:

– Positivecasesmadeforplanning(Campbell,2002;Healey,2010;Rydin,2011)

– Rehabilitationofonce-suspectnotions,suchasthepublicinterest,andprofessionalism(CampbellandMarshall,2000;Vigar,2012)

– (Broadly)sympatheticaccountsofplannersunderpressure(eg Jupp andInch,2012;Clifford,2016)

RehabilitatingplanningThispaper’sclaim:1. thatanunderstandabledesiretorehabilitate

planningandplannersshouldnotleadustooverlookthelimitationsofpracticesofplanningtodateandthedifficultiesofaradicallynewapproach

2. thatIvanIllich offersausefulreminderofkeylimitationsandperhapspointersforthefuture

3. Buthisapproachappearsdeficientinacrucialrespect.Thepaperseekstopointouthowthiscanbeaddressed.

Planninganditssubjects• Sincestartofmodernplanning,concernforwhatconstitutesaproperwayofliving(‘howpeopleshouldlive’),individuallyandcollectively,hasbeenpartofdebatesanddiscussionsaboutplanning,thoughincreasinglyoftenimplicitratherthanexplicit

• Involvesprocess(howtoplan)andoutcomes(howindividualdevelopmentsanddispositionofdevelopmentsmightopenorcloseoptionsforwaysoflife)

• Planninghas,inpractice,beenthestateactivityofbringingaboutadesiredwayoflife

Howtoplan:modelplanningcitizens

Differentapproachestoplanninghaveembeddedinthemdifferentideals(models)ofhowthenon-planningpublicshouldactwhenengagedwiththeplanningsystem

Thesearisefromthepractice(andtheory)ofplanning;therearealsomodelsofpeoplethatinformwhatplanningandplannersidentifyasachievableanddesiredends

Examplesof‘modelplanningcitizens’

- Rational- comprehensive:utilitymaximisers/‘rational’agents

- Advocacy(andequity)planners:self-interestedandrelativelypassive

- Collaborativeplanners:deliberative,open,engaged,trusting

Amoreradicalapproach:insurgentplanning

AssociatedwithFriedman(2011),Sandercock(1997,2003)andothersthisapproachfocusesoncapacitydevelopmentwithincommunities,whiletakingdifferentrationalities/world-viewsseriously.Forplannersitmeansacquiringcertain‘literacies’(Sandercock,1999)whichleavesthem….

T(echnically literate)A(nalytically literate)M(ulti-culturallyliterate)E(cologically literate)D(esigners)Yet,whilethesemaynotbe‘heroic’planners,theyremainveryskilledpeople,andarestillidentifyingasplanners,aspeoplewhocomeinfrom‘outside’inorderto….

• actassympatheticintermediariesbetweengovernmentandthesecommunitymembers(iflatterareleftunchanged);orto

• train/educatecommunitymemberstobeactorsingovernment(ie planning)processes–onthetermsoftheprocessasitis

Eitherway,thesystemanditsvaluesisleftunchallenged,andpeoplehavetoaccommodatetoit,inonewayoranother.

IvanIllich,1926- 2002

- Well-knownsocialcriticinlate1960s,1970sandintothe1980s

- Publishedoveradozenbooks,largelyin1970sand1980s.

- Arguably,a‘guru’(Winkler,1987:450)

Relativeneglectforatleast20years

Why?Someunsystematicspeculations:- hewasofhistimes,andideasofothersoverlapped,andweredevelopedfurther- politically(Ward,2004)- academically– eg Johnson(1972)onprofessions

- hewasanactivistandpolemicist;notacareeracademic;wantedno‘school’

- a‘silencing’(Gabbard,1993)- terminalcaseofintellectualcelebritysyndrome(Winkler,1987)?

- hisprognosisforindustrialisedsocieties– whendelivered- waswrong

- perhapshedidn’tfullyappreciatethesocialaswellasintellectualimplicationsofpositionality–hewaswhite,educated,male,Catholic,European…andhadaforcefulpersonality

WhatIllich arguedExplicitly- Ananalysisofcontemporaryindustrialisedsocieties,theirbadeffectsonpeople,andaprognosis.

Implicitly- Anormativeaccountofwhatconstitutesaproperlifeforaperson,andinwhatkindsofcircumstancesthiscanbesupportedandsustained.

Industrialisedsocieties

Illich iscriticalofallsocietieswheremaximisingproductionofgoods,andincreasinglyservices,iselevatedtothedefactomainobjectiveandmeasureofsuccess(societiesofaccumulation)

Inthesecircumstances,avarietyofinstitutions,workingthroughtrainedindividuals(‘professionals’),mouldthemajorityofpeopletoservethemachineryofproduction,andproducelegitimisingideology.

Effectsonpeople

• madedependent:theirindependenceisunderminedsothattheprofessionalscanmanagetheirlives

• becomeincreasinglypassive:theirusefulnesstopowerfulinterestsisasconsumersandonly viaindustrialisedprocessesasproducers(independentproductionbecomesmarginal)

• theycometofearresponsibility,andeachother

Underlyingthisanalysisthereis:- a‘long-view’ofthesignificanceof(Western)modernity(cf Foucault)

- anawarenessofthewaystatestypicallysupportpowerfuleconomicinterests(cf Marx)

- an(essentiallynormative)assertionofwhatitisforindividualstodevelopashealthy,maturepeople(cf Fromm,Eriksson,Sennett).

Prognosis

• thesystemcreatesdemandsandaspirationsthatitcannotsatisfy;thiswillbeitsdownfall:

- somearecreatedbyadvertisingandculture- othersasby-productsoftheproductionandconsumptionofgoodsandservices

- medicine,transportandeducationhighlightthesecontradictions

Illich’s answer– someprovisos

• InfairnesstoIllich hewasquiteoftenwritingaboutcountriesbeingsubjectedto‘development’,wherehefeltthatwhatwasbeingofferedwasdestructiveandmanipulative

• Andsomegoodthingsmightstillbesalvageable• AtothertimeshewaswritingabouttheUSandsimilarcountries– inthelatterhespecificallysaidthattheclockcouldnotbeturnedback(eg re‘myths’ofreligiousorfolkbeliefs)

Illich’s answers:conviviality• Anon-manipulativesociety• Encourage,facilitate(evenrequire?)individuals,householdsandcollectivities toassumemoreresponsibilityformuchofwhatmateriallyandotherwisesustainstheirlives– housing,food,health,education,inter-personalrelations...

• Crucially,tounderstandtheseasthingstobeachieved,notconsumed/given

• Limittechnologytothatwhichisrelativelystraightforwardtounderstandandrepair– eg bicycles

• Allunderpinnedbyacritiqueofaproductivist ethos(lifehasmeaningsbeyondaccumulation)

Implicationsforplanning

• NoneedtotreatIllich’s ideasasablueprintforautopia

• Usethemasareminderofsomevitalconcerns/testsforanykindofreconstitutedplanning

EvenifyouresistbuyingintoIllichwholesaletherearepointstotake

away…• everyprojectofplanninganditspolitywillhaveaconceptionofthekindofcitizenitneedsandisfostering– atleastbeexplicit,asIllich is.

• besensitivetothelimitationsandopportunitiesforplanningarisingfromthewayotherareasofsociallife(schools,work,etc...)areoperating–clearestinrelationtoIllich’s concern–dependence/autonomy,butpointhasgeneralvalidity.

Ifoneistendingtobesympathetic…

• Valueself-helpandself-organisation;valuedoingratherthanbeingserved

• Bewareofallintermediariesandfacilitators,especiallythoseofthestate

• Bewareof‘smart’solutionsbecause…- theymayincreasepowerofexperts- theymayavoidratherthanconfrontpoliticalandethicalchoices

• Rejectuni-dimensionalconceptionsoflife

• Theplanningtaskwouldbetohelpgetfromwherewearetosomethinglikealifeasdescribedontheearlierslide.

• Specificactions:- Lessprejudiceagainstself-build,esp iflow-impact- Landreform- Re-writingplanning’shistory– eg ColinWard’swork• ButplanningasaprofessionalactivitywouldhavenoplaceinanIllich-inspiredsociety

Planningandthestate

• Illich criticisestheindustrialstate…• Butonly implieswhatwilltakeitsplace– aloosekindofconfederationofsmallishcommunities;strongenoughtoco-ordinatecertainactivityperhaps(eg infrastructure)andmaybesecuresomerights;butalwayshavingtojustifyitsexistence

• Noroleforplanningaswehaveknownitinthelast100yearsinthispicture.

WhereIllich fallsshort…

• Illich professesa‘radicalhumanism’,whichfocusesonthesignificanceofindividualautonomy

• Thiscouldbeinterpretedasaformoflibertarianism,i.e.radicalindividualisticliberalism

• Forsome,thiswillbeasunattractive(andultimatelyself-defeating)asliberalindividualismitself

Analternative…• Weneedaviewofindividualsandtheirwell-being(amodelofwhatapersoncanbe)

• Suchaviewcanonlybegeneratedwithinanestablished,settledcommunalwayoflife– MacIntyre’s‘well-orderedsociety’.

• Thereareandwillbedifferentconceptionsofwhatthisshouldinvolve

• Butcoherentargumentsaboutwhatkindsofliveswewantpeopletohavewillbelodgedwithinsuchperspectivesandgovernancemustsupport– orrather,notinterferein- atleastsomeofthewaysoflifewhichgiverisetothem.

References• Campbell,H(2002)Planning:anideaofvalueTownPlanning

Review 73(7),271-288• Campbell,HandMarshall,R(2000)Moralobligations,planningand

thepublicinterest:acommentaryoncurrentBritishpracticeEnvironmentandPlanningB,27(2),297-312

• Clifford,B(2016)‘Clock-watchingandbox-ticking’:Britishlocalauthorityplanners,professionalismandperformancetargetsPlanningPracticeandResearchDOI:10.1080/02697459.2016.1178038

• Gabbard,D.A.(1993)SilencingIvanIllich:aFoucauldian analysisNewYork:AustinandWinfield

• Healey,P(2010)MakingBetterPlaces.ThePlanningProjectinthe21st century Basingstoke:PalgraveMacmillan

• Johnson,T(1972)ProfessionsandPowerBasingstoke:Macmillan

• Jupp,EandInch,A(2012)PlanningasaprofessioninuncertaintimesTownPlanningReview83(5),505-512

• RTPI(2001)ANewVisionforPlanningLondon:RTPI• Rydin,Y(2011)ThePurposeofPlanningBristol:Policy

Press• Sandercock,L(1997)TowardsCosmopolis Chichester:

Wiley• Sandercock,L(1999)Expandingthe‘language’ofplanning:

Ameditationonplanningeducationforthetwenty-firstcentury.EuropeanPlanningStudies7(5):533–544

• Sandercock,L(2003)Cosmopolis II.MongrelCitiesintheTwenty-firstCenturyLondon:Continuum

• Vigar,G(2012)Planningandprofessionalism:knowledge,judgementandexpertsinEnglishplanning,PlanningTheory11(4),361-378

• Ward,C(2004)Anarchism.Averyshortintroduction Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress

• Winkler,J.T.(1987)TheIntellectualCelebritySyndrome(letter)TheLancetVol329,Issue8530,February21st ,450

SomeimportanttextsbyIllich (withdateoffirstpublication)

• De-schoolingSociety(1971)• ToolsforConviviality(1973)• LimitstoMedicine(1975)• TheRighttoUsefulUnemploymentanditsprofessionalenemies(1978)

• Gender(1983)