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Article Excerpt
The opening decade of this century has seen Australia's intelligence community subjected to unprecedented scrutiny, mainly as a result of the fight against terror and its associated legislation. New hopes and expectations have been laid upon it, along with huge amounts of money, equipment and staff.
What has been largely ignored in this flurry of activity and reorganisation is the fundamental way in which our society has changed, and hence the nature of human talent that can be drawn upon to fulfil both the existing as well as new requirements involved. The irony is that at the very time that large numbers of younger people are being recruited into the agencies, the already diminished ranks of older and experienced officers are being seriously depleted. Who will train the newcomers, and from what base?
Intelligence work of any description has always been premised upon trust and loyalty, but what do these concepts mean in today's Australia? And as the country's agencies trawl for new staff, what are the changed characteristics of the seas in which they are navigating?
To address such complex questions we will draw on social science and, in particular, the work of the late Dr Hugh Emy of Monash University, whose observations on the nature of Australian society have lost none of their potency despite the passage of time. (1)
THE PARADOX OF SOCIETY IN TRANSITION
Lewis Lapham, who until recently was the long-serving editor of Harper's Magazine in the United States, provided a pointer in his 2002 book, Theater of War. (2) He showed how, in developed societies, a great deal is still presumed about the average citizen's loyalty to the well-being of his or her nation and its people. The notion of loyalty, he says, has changed markedly in societies where many individuals are only linked to the social sphere by easy credit and access to the Internet. It is no different in Australia.
An interesting reflection of this came in a University of Tasmania graduation address in Hobart in December 2006 by Professor David Adams, professor of management and innovation. (3) He highlighted how "we value community as a place or space where identity is forged and people sort out values and views about themselves, others and the world. It is a sort of sense-making machine. Creating a common identity whilst retaining individuality is part of the nuance of community life."
But increasingly for young Australians it is not just traditional arenas that are involved. "Many young people today," said Adams, "spend as much time sorting out their identity and making judgments within their virtual web and SMS texting communities as they do within traditional place-based communities."
Increasingly, the mobile phone network is a virtual meeting-place that complements the Internet. There is empirical evidence in social science circles that normal face-to-face interaction, either inside the home or outside, is changing profoundly.
Teenage rebellion has always been with us; but with the electronic age of personal computers, mobile phones, electronic organisers, all with Internet connection, there is potential for interpersonal relations to become more fluid and dynamic. Typically, this is held to be part of the globalised postindustrial or post-modern society, wherein goods and services have become commodified or transient. It is interesting to note that the average life of a cell phone is about two years, after which it is exchanged for the latest model. The young are on the cutting edge of new technology and Generation Y (born between 1977-92) has, in technological terms, already surpassed Generation X.
This worries some older Australians, as a recent report by the IT analytical firm, IBRS, explained. Called Generation Y: Why Babyboomers Should be Nervous, it pinpoints the opposing perspectives of mature workers in the IT sector and their younger colleagues. (4) The latter are seen to lack discipline, respect, and appreciation for process. On the other hand, mature employees in the industry are seen to be unimaginative, scared of change, out of touch, think experience counts for everything and are antagonistic towards younger people. (5)
The increasing tendency of the Y group to cut corners and bypass essential control mechanisms in their sector, however, is believed to pose serious risks to data integrity and confidentiality. The younger generation's high degree of technical savvy and fast learning capability might be their undoing. "They cannot fulfil the role of technology-business translator," the report says, "unless they are educated on, and get committed to, the principles of governance, compliance and the need for controls."
FROM ALIENATION TO HYPER-INDIVIDUALISM: A WESTERN CONUNDRUM
In Western society, elements of the younger generation could still be described in classic sociological terms as alienated: from their parents, siblings and society. It is increasingly clear, however, that this phenomenon is being classified as "hyper-individualism". Interaction between the constituent elements of families is looser than ever, and we don't need popular television shows to demonstrate that fact. The hyper individual can certainly attend school or college and have contact with his...
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