| Current inadequacies in existing patterns of industrial planning in developing countries have led planning experts to seek "appropriate technologies" which are more likely to utilize indigenous innovative talent and capacity. The purpose of this dissertation is to delineate a philosophical/theoretical model of framework which will show that design can have functions other than a purely economic one and that these functions can affect the entire range of human experience. With more knowledge of the roles of design in the protection and enhancement of indigenous culture and of the need for the development of a more informed appropriate technology, professional education in the field of design can be more intelligently and efficiently planned in institutions of higher learning.; To demonstrate that design permeates all of life, the dissertation examines two perennial problems in sub-Saharan countries, namely, poverty and cultural identity. An analysis of these two problems revolves around three related issues: the quality of life, design and industrial design, and professional education. The analysis leads to a proposal in the dissertation for an alternative approach to industrial design education in developing countries.; Since there is no universally agreed-upon theory which presently guides the practice of industrial design, and since the study is intended to clarify the latent roles design plays in developing nations, the proposed new model of professional education is, of necessity, based on a broad and comprehensive theory. The work of Talcott Parsons forms the underpinnings of that theory. The model which is built explores the educational implications which come from an understanding of the connections established in the model between changing systems (e.g., among society, educational institutions, and an emerging design management profession). The model articulates the intimate connections among the systems by demonstrating their homologies in terms of Parsons' and others' theories. Recommendations for the practical dimensions of a reconceived design management profession and for design management education are given. |
