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The school is one of these approved elements. There is theorizing
about the rejection of those elements seen as inappropriate, for
example, ’grog’, going to prison, interaction with white culture.
There is continual theorizing about the relationships of the Mob
with other groups in society, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal (Sorokin,
1947:385) .
Above all, there is theorizing about the autonomy of the group.
All this theorizing may be seen as revealing and strengthening
the Mob's cohesion and causal-meaningful system. Sorokin gives
the following analysis of a causal-meaningful system as opposed to
a congerie, a spatial agglomeration.
The causal meaningful system has its own self-
directing force that keeps its unified integrity
in different conditions, that controls its functions,
that determines (from within) the direction and
character of its change, and gives to it a margin
of autonomy from all external forces that try to
disrupt its unity, influence its functions and
condition its change (Sorokin, 1947:155).
13.2 Theorizing to support the model of the Strelley 'world*
It has been shown that the social structures of the Mob are
not ’closed’ social structures, resistant to change. The group
is continually 'becoming*, continually adapting to new situations.
«
All such changes result from lengthy group meetings where the whole
group is involved in defining issues, considering solutions, and
working at solutions agreed to by the whole, solutions that are integrated
* «
into their overall theorizing - the Law. Some changes are innovations
with far reaching consequences. However, since change is the result
of a theorizing that is clearly articulated and communicated, it
is accepted by all and occurs without sudden disjunctions.
The Law may be taken as the articulation of the theorizing of
the Mob. The restoration of the Law is subject to a continuous
process of theorizing.