Thursday, September 29, 2011

Social Justice in the light of Integral Theory and SpIral Dynamics



so, i have not published anything here in a long time, but now i've something new to share.
these are my notes of the presentation i gave in my social justice class about "Integral Theory, Spiral Dynamics, and Social Justice".
In this presentation i try to have a look at Racism from the point of few of Spiral Dynamics and Integral Theory.

So, here it is:


Suppose we took everything that all the various world cultures have to tell us about human potential and the world around us, about psychological, and social growth, about science, religion and spirituality.
What if we tried to identify the basic patterns that connect these pieces of knowledge? What If we tried to create a map that touches on all these important factors.

Before getting into this, I want to make sure: this is just a map. Its not the territory. Don’t confuse the map. Don’t think by looking at the map, you know the territory. But also, if you go on a road trip, you’d rather have a map with you, cause otherwise you might never get to where you want to get.

Integral theory is a framework that tries to integrate different ways of knowledge,  from ancient sages to modern science and put it in one model.

Integral theory sees that there is different states of consciousness that we are on (waking, dreaming, sleeping), it takes into account that there is different levels of development (example:preconventional = egocentric; conventional=ethnocentric; post conventional = worldcentric) that there is different lines of development (cognitive, interpersonal, emotional, moral, psychosexual), and that there is at least a masculine and a feminine aspect to everything.

One main framework that integral theory works with a 4-quadrant model.

Every mayor language has, what we call 1st 2nd and 3rd person pronouns.
If I am speaking to you about my bike. There is the “I”, the you and the it.
You and I together form the “we”
So, you can look at every event from the point of view of “I” (how I personally feel about it)
From the “WE”, how not just I, but all of us see the event
And from the “IT” – the objective facts of events.





The 4 perspectives with which you can look at every occasion are:
I – top left- inside of individual – individual thoughts, feelings, sensations, (everything 1st person)
It – top right - outside of individual – physical individual: my cells, organs, but also my physical behavior, the way I dress.

When inside is feelings, outside sees a limbic system, when inside has desires, the outside sees the neurocortex,
Inside is the subjective, outside the objective, and both of them are right according to integral approach.

We – bottom left -  inside of collective – group consciousness, our culture,
Its – bottom right - outside of collective – social dimension – how we manifest culture, the infrastructure we build, etc.

All 4 of these quadrants need to be included if you want to be as integral as possible, and all 4 of those show growth, development and evolution.

One model that is often used together with integral theory is a developmental model called “spiral dynamics”.

Spiral dynamics is a framework for understanding different value systems. First formulated by Dr. Clare Graves and put into a book by Don Beck and Christopher Cowan.
It gives a way of understanding human differences without the invalid cathegories of race or class, and a language to describe differences that transcend superficial categories.

4 key points to his theory:
1.    Human nature is not static, nor is it finite. Human nature changes as the conditions of existence change.
2.    When a new system or level is activated, we change our psychology and rules for living to adapt to those new conditions.
3.    We live in a potentially open system of values with an infinite number of modes of living available to us. There is no final state to which we must all aspire.
4.    An individual, a company, or an entire society can respond positively only to those managerial principles, motivational appeals, educational formulas, and legal or ethical codes that are appropriate to the current level of human existence" (Beck and Cowan 1996).

So, what does all of this have to do with racism?




Purple: survival of family, tribe, clan, preserve our kind, stranger and outsider is feared, not trusted, gender and age roles are rigid and important.
Examples: urban gangs, KKK, white supremacy groups, Mafia

Red: centers on power, appearance, territorial and personal dominance, self serving, often violent, brutal, , focus on power, conquest, expression of power,
Examples: intra racial gang violence, inter ethnic conflicts, protest marches

Blue: racism as a social construct to maintain segregation, division. Uses polarized thinking (us/them), rigid cathegories, classes, crusades, traditions. Uses “holy books” and “the law” to justify unequal behavior. Rules for proper behavior, seeks to keep things as they are. Flags, hymns, etc
Examples: U.S before&during Civil rights movement until now, Apartheid before mandela, conservative groups

Orange: seeks competitive advantage, achievement, vies for economic niches, avoids racism and sexism, even plays down racial and ethnic heritage for success, focuses on strategies, free markets, status. Is only inclusive if benefits bottomline.
Examples: anti affirmative laws, corporate America

Green: at this level racism is reactionary, can be exclusive and intolerant, social action missionaries who use discrimination to enforce equality. Egalitarianism based on denial of differences. Focuses on equality, community, feelings, earthiness, consensus, and human harmony.
Examples: Politically Correct movement, Anti racism groups,

The article suggests that racism is only truly overcome in the second tier, because at that stage competence is overriding differences.

Read quote:

3 modes for change:
1.    Bureaucratic model (top down): addressing institutional structures of exclusion.
Primary way of success: work through institutions that perpetuate learning of racism: family, schools, church, workplace, government.
2.    Grassroots model (bottom up): create systems of greater equality, create contact between different groups, reducing socioeconomic competition, and status inequality, example: civil rights movement.
3.    Heart Model (inside out): focus on internal transformation through heart/mind/spirit: “finding, nurturing, and creating conditions that promote care” combined with internal transformation of value systems

THE MULTIPLE FUTURES OF RACISM—BEYOND THE MYTH OF RACE THROUGH A NEW PARADIGM FOR RESOLUTION IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM By Caleb Rosado, Ph.D. http://www.rosado.net/pdf/Futures_of_Racism.pdf

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