Unintended consequences
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
(Difference between revisions)
| Revision as of 21:15, 26 June 2013 Jahsonic (Talk | contribs) ← Previous diff |
Current revision Jahsonic (Talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| {{Template}} | {{Template}} | ||
| - | In the [[social sciences]], '''unintended consequences''' (sometimes '''unanticipated consequences''' or '''unforeseen consequences''') are outcomes that are not the ones intended by a purposeful action. The concept has long existed but was named and popularised in the 20th century by American [[sociologist]] [[Robert K. Merton]]. | + | In the [[social sciences]], '''unintended consequences''' (sometimes '''unanticipated consequences''' or '''unforeseen consequences''') are [[outcome]]s that are not the ones intended by a purposeful action. The concept has long existed but was named and popularised in the 20th century by American [[sociologist]] [[Robert K. Merton]]. |
| - | Unintended consequences can be roughly grouped into three types: | + | Unintended [[consequence]]s can be roughly grouped into three types: |
| * A positive, unexpected benefit (usually referred to as [[luck]], [[serendipity]] or a [[windfall]]). | * A positive, unexpected benefit (usually referred to as [[luck]], [[serendipity]] or a [[windfall]]). | ||
| * A negative, unexpected detriment occurring in addition to the desired effect of the policy (e.g., while [[irrigation]] schemes provide people with water for agriculture, they can increase waterborne diseases that have devastating health effects, such as [[schistosomiasis]]). | * A negative, unexpected detriment occurring in addition to the desired effect of the policy (e.g., while [[irrigation]] schemes provide people with water for agriculture, they can increase waterborne diseases that have devastating health effects, such as [[schistosomiasis]]). | ||
| * A perverse effect contrary to what was originally intended (when an intended solution makes a problem worse) | * A perverse effect contrary to what was originally intended (when an intended solution makes a problem worse) | ||
| - | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| * [[Boomerang effect (psychology)]] | * [[Boomerang effect (psychology)]] | ||
| - | * [[Relevance paradox]] | + | * [[Collateral damage]] |
| + | * [[Cobra effect]] | ||
| + | * [[Consequence]] | ||
| + | * [[Dutch disease]] | ||
| + | * [[Ethics in mathematics]] | ||
| + | * [[Externality]] | ||
| + | * [[Instrumental and value-rational action]] | ||
| + | * [[Parable of the broken window]] | ||
| + | * [[Rebound effect]] | ||
| + | * [[System accident]] | ||
| + | * [[Systemantics]] | ||
| + | * [[Technology assessment]] | ||
| + | * [[Tragedy of the Commons]] | ||
| + | * [[Virtuous circle and vicious circle]] | ||
| * [[Side effect]] | * [[Side effect]] | ||
| * [[The road to hell is paved with good intentions]] | * [[The road to hell is paved with good intentions]] | ||
| {{GFDL}} | {{GFDL}} | ||
Current revision
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
In the social sciences, unintended consequences (sometimes unanticipated consequences or unforeseen consequences) are outcomes that are not the ones intended by a purposeful action. The concept has long existed but was named and popularised in the 20th century by American sociologist Robert K. Merton.
Unintended consequences can be roughly grouped into three types:
- A positive, unexpected benefit (usually referred to as luck, serendipity or a windfall).
- A negative, unexpected detriment occurring in addition to the desired effect of the policy (e.g., while irrigation schemes provide people with water for agriculture, they can increase waterborne diseases that have devastating health effects, such as schistosomiasis).
- A perverse effect contrary to what was originally intended (when an intended solution makes a problem worse)
[edit]
See also
- Boomerang effect (psychology)
- Collateral damage
- Cobra effect
- Consequence
- Dutch disease
- Ethics in mathematics
- Externality
- Instrumental and value-rational action
- Parable of the broken window
- Rebound effect
- System accident
- Systemantics
- Technology assessment
- Tragedy of the Commons
- Virtuous circle and vicious circle
- Side effect
- The road to hell is paved with good intentions
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Unintended consequences" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
