Transcript It’s an Intervention!

“We don’t see things
as they are. We see
things as we are.”
- Anais Nin
It’s an Intervention!
“When you make a world tolerable for yourself,
you make a world tolerable for others.”
- Anais Nin
What is Bad Faith when it comes to Equality?
What is “bad faith” when it comes to equality? “…it is only necessary to act in the
customary, ordinary, usual, even polite manner. Nonetheless, I doubt that any of us who
does so is totally without the knowledge that something is wrong.
To slide into decisions without allowing oneself to realize that one is making any; to feel
dimly that one is enjoying advantages without trying to become clearly aware of what
those advantages are (and who hasn’t got them); to accept mystifications because they’re
customary and comfortable; cooking one’s mental books to congratulate oneself on
traditional behavior as if it were actively moral behavior; to know that one doesn’t know;
to prefer not to know; to defend one’s status as already knowing with half-sincere, halfselfish passion as “objectivity” –
This great, fuzzy area of human ingenuity is what Jean Paul Sartre calls “bad faith.” When
spelled out the techniques use to maintain bad faith look morally atrocious and
appallingly silly. That is because they are morally atrocious and appallingly silly. But this
only shows when one spells them out, i.e., becomes aware of them. Hence this one effort
among many to do just that.”
Russ, J. (1984) How to Suppress Women’s Writing, London: The Women’s Press.
Discuss…
“Inasmuch as community psychologists strive to
promote liberation and wellbeing in
marginalized groups, we are interested in
organizational and community interventions
that foster these goals.”
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Organizational Intervention
“Organizational interventions are systematic
methods of enhancing an institution’s capacity
to promote the personal, relational, and
collective wellbeing of their workers and
community stakeholders.”
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Politics and Empowerment
“We advocate pairing and integration of ameliorative and
transformative thinking and action.”
Four types of institutions:
1. Collective action that involves individual transformation
2. Collective action that does not involve individual
transformation
3. Individual empowerment that involves individual
transformation
4. Individual empowerment that does not involve individual
transformation
Values that Justify Intervention
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Holism
Health
Caring / Compassion
Self-Determination
Participation
Social Justice
Respect for Diversity
Accountability
Why Organize?
• Reduction of stress
• Improvement of life satisfaction
• Empowerment / Feelings of control of one’s
own life
Discuss..
• Why Organize…
– Empowerment can only be realized through
organizing
– Social power is built on the strength of
interpersonal relationships
– Individual empowerment must be grounded in a
dialectic of action and reflection
Interventions in Organizations
Population
Served
Ameliorative
Transformative
Workers within
Organization
Collaboration across units
Moderate participation
Autonomy
Caring and compassion
Conflict resolution
Policies against harassment and bullying
Family friendly policies
Peer support
Personal development
Stress reduction
Prevent burnout
Improve communication
Accountability across and within levels of
organization
Attention to issues of social injustice
Full participation in decision-making
processes
Meaning-seeking activities
Attention to power differences
Oppose discrimination
Equalize power
Community,
citizens, clients and
consumers
Caring and compassion toward clients and
citizens
Workers contribute to civic associations
through charity
Partnerships for health and well-being
Reinforce community structures
Advocacy on behalf of clients
Provision of new or better services
Mission of social change
Allow community stakeholders full access
to decision making
Respect the environment
Make community politically aware
Accountability to disadvantaged members
of community
Support clients in resisting oppression and
injustice
Internal and External Agents of Change
Internal
External
Managers
Organizational Consultant
Executive Director
Member of the Community
Administrator
Conflict Resolution Mediator
Staff Member
Trainer
Member of the Board
Program Evaluator
Six Possible Roles for Agents of Change
“As either external or internal agents of change, community psychologists exert more
or less control over the process of change.”
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Director
– Manager or administrator who makes decisions and gives instructions in order to control the
intervention
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Expert
– Systems Analyst or Organization Consultant who diagnoses problems and uses knowledge to
tell others what to do
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Consultant
– Community Developer and Consultant who makes suggestions and whose influence derives
from respect and trust
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Resource
– Group Trainer or Resource Provider who helps group to collect data and provides training in
planning skills
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Facilitator
– Process consultant, helper or group observer who assists with group processes
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Collaborator
– Staff, Board or Community Member who is interested in change and joins groups or teams
planning and carrying out interventions
Let’s Process Personal Emotional Contingencies!
Emotional
Competencies
Personal Development
Transformational Potential
Self Awareness
Emotional awareness
Accurate self-assessment
Self-confidence
Recognizing personal experiences of
oppression
Understanding impact of oppression
on self
Sense of agency
Self-Regulation
Self-control
Trustworthiness
Conscientiousness
Adaptability
Innovation
Monitoring effects of oppression on
behavior
Ethical behavior in all domains of life
Accountability for actions
Appreciation of impact of change on
self
Willingness to be challenged
Motivation
Achievement drive
Commitment
Initiative
Optimism
Pursuit of liberation and well-being
Commitment to change, liberation and
well-being
Ability to mobilize self and others
Work with others to maintain hope
Let’s Process Social Emotional Contingencies!
Emotional
Competencies
Social Development
Transformational Potential
Empathy
Understanding others
Developing others
Service orientation
Leveraging diversity
Political awareness
Appreciating others’ experiences of
oppression
Promoting others’ sense of agency
Transformational orientation
Respecting and valuing minorities’
experiences
Perceiving effects of power dynamics in
groups
Social Skills
Influence
Communication
Conflict management
Leadership
Change catalyst
Building bonds
Collaboration and
cooperation
Team capabilities
Persuasive in promoting need for justice
Active listening and use of plain messages
Fair resolution of differences
Inspiring self and others to do their best
Promotion of change for liberation and
well-being
Solidarity with people who are marginalized
Value-based partnerships
Fostering synergy, fun and satisfaction in
group
The Role of the Community Psychologist
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Inclusive Host
Visionary
Asset Seeker
Listener and Sense Maker
Unique Solution Finder
Evaluator
Implementer
Trendsetter
The Role of the Community Psychologist
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Is everyone feeling comfortable?
Is someone dominating the discussion?
As there some people afraid to speak?
Have I made an effort to hear from all the people in the group?
Are people leaving the meeting enthusiastic or disappointed?
• Visionary
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Have people expressed their aspiration?
Are we able to think of alternative ways of being?
Have we established a process that is democratic and inclusive?
Have we had time to think about the norms that we all want to follow?
Is there collective ownership for the values and vision we have created?
• Asset Seeker
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Have I asked people how they cope with this difficult situation?
Have we discussed what each of us can contribute to the process?
Are we able to combine our strengths in a synergistic way?
Have I offered my input as an equal member of the group?
Have we explored different types of knowledge and wisdom that can help us in
our collaborative work?
The Role of the Community Psychologist cont…
• Listener and Sense (Meaning) Maker
– Have I listened without interruption to what people have to say about
their issues?
– Have I thought about it in ecological terms?
– Have I expressed disagreement or alternative conceptualizations in a
respectful way?
– Have I thought about the influence of power inequality in this person’s
life?
– Has the group agreed on the definition of the problem and possible
solutions?
• Unique Solution Finder
– Have I considered with the group the risks and benefits of every
course of action?
– Have I consulted colleagues and the literature on the merits of various
alternatives?
– Is our work balancing attention to process with attention to
outcomes?
– Is the preferred action in accord with our values?
– Do we have a contingency plan in case this strategy doesn’t work?
The Role of the Community Psychologist cont…
• Evaluator
– Have we created a space to reflect on how we’re feeling about
our work together?
– What have we done to evaluate our intervention?
– Are people feeling safe enough to express disapproval?
– Am I open to challenges and criticsm?
– Have we practiced how to give feedback in respectful and useful
ways?
• Implementer
– Have I tried to be an inclusive host, asset seeker, good listener
and solution finder?
– Have I tried to identify with my partners the most suitable
solution for the long term?
– Have I made a mental list of the important considerations at
play?
– Have I considered enabling and inhibiting factors that will
impact our plan of action?
The Role of the Community Psychologist cont…
• Trend Setter
– What have we done to make sure that the changes we
plan for are maintained?
– How do we change the system, not just perceptions,
in order to institutionalize innovations?
– What group norms can we establish to help members
sustain new behaviors?
– How can we disseminate knowledge gained in one
setting to others?
– What do we know from the literature about
institutionalizing innovations?
Steps for Organizational Change