OEO LEGAL SERVICE PROGRAMS AND THE PURSUIT OF SOCIAL CHANGE: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROGRAM IDEOLOGY AND PROGRAM PERFORMANCE

A discussion of the program to make legal services available to the poor which was instituted in 1965 by the US Office of Econ Opportunity (OEO). The goal was to make legal systems not only function as a treatment for the symptoms of poverty, but as an active agent in the struggle against the poverty disease itself. OEO saw one aspect of this struggle as reforming & refashioning the law, & another as helping the poverty community develop its own potential & econ resources, so that the poor would have power to act effectively on their own behalf. A detailed study of 5 OEO programs based on interviews with program personnel is reported. The major, unexpected outcome of this study was that the basic character of program performance will vary directly with the diff's in ideological perspectives of the individuals who are the program promoters. When the promoter's orientation implies a limited role for a legal service program, performance will be correspondin gly limited; if their perspective calls for activity aimed at soc change, the program will perform accordingly. Ideological perspective operates in a number of ways to exert a critical, perhaps a dominant influence on the shape of performance. This relationship between the ideological perspective of promoters & program performers is explored at length under consideration of other factors (eg, caseload & external pressures) that might affect performance. Of special interest is the impact of ideology on staff lawyers & the ideological image & relations between legal services programs & the poverty community. The signif of ideological perspective at the nat'l level, both within OEO & at higher levels is pointed out. Account must be taken of society's deep & fundamental interest in encouraging those who seek change to do so in a lawful, orderly manner. M. Maxfield.