William W. Biddle

Work on Propaganda Biddle was one of the earliest practitioners of developing psychological frameworks for propaganda. He illustrated that propaganda is an understated form of persuasion that utilizes multiple methodologies of coercing people. An example of a type of population served includes one's own nation focusing on lowest to middle-class backgrounds. The method of work done among rural versus urban communities can also differ causing an impact on how we define and perceive community development. Defining and re-defining Community Development Biddle argues that the approach, population served, and other factors are important characteristics of community development and how it is defined. It can be seen as something that is solely for improving rural areas or developing urban areas distinctively. Community is difficult to define, therefore developing one cannot be simply understood according to Biddle. In times of success, the developers’ joy should not overshadow the evaluation of the development in terms of the people's progress. The developer must remain objective and keep the progress going. He described the education systems as only teaching students what is right and wrong and failed to teach them critical thinking, which makes the students think "autistically" and prone to more propaganda. Autistic thinking arises from two deficiencies in education: the lack of sufficient information taught in social fields and the inability to understand different points of view. Education in history is essentially a nation's propaganda; the nation is always right and just. Such education would leave the students unable to think critically about the nation's affairs. Biddle said that community agencies require cooperation in guiding youth to accomplish more effective occupational adjustments. Biddle argues that schools fail to carry out successful educational function without being greatly concerned of student's vocational possibilities. He also believes that employment services can not be effective without consistent interaction with schools for receiving pertinent information accumulated of youth. Fixing education Biddle believed that one way to fix autistic thinking in education is to expose children to others with opposing views and to teach them to have respect for them. Experiences of this nature will allow them to have critical thinking and be capable of having a rational opinion while in a debate with those with opposing opinions. Biddle gives general education two definitions: a traditional definition and a functional definition. It is traditionally defined as a frame of cultural subject-matter that is required for students to attain in order to be educated. He defines it functionally as a course of action, and various experiences, by which students rely on as a way of living. Biddle argues that these definitions seem sterile and unreal to many students. He criticizes that such absorption of culture overlooks the central theme of western civilization, moral, and religious values that are critical in giving it meaning and direction. It also functionally gives a vocational emphasis which is conceived as merely an occupational skill and thus students graduate with a lack of background, sense of direction, and as an uncultured artisan. Biddle states that the purpose of general education is to close the gap between adolescence and adulthood and this can be accomplished by the students exploration of his own habits, potentialities, and familiarity with the community and social order. == Death and legacy ==