negatives, bias,
criticism, denial
Problems:
Associated with the interest in disagreement (see above
), there has been a long-term
commitment to work with problematic materials, initially in the form of the documentation of
"world problems" perceived by international constituencies (see Encyclopedia of World
Problems and Human Potential
, 1976, 1995). This extended into work on the strategies
deployed in response to such problems, notably in the light of fundamental strategic dilemmas
(
1995
) and the possibility of configuring opposing strategic initiatives in fruitful ways (
1992
). This
critical perspective has also been deployed in response to uncritical perspectives (
Limits to
Human Potential
, 1976; NGOs and Civil Society: Realities and Distortion
s, 1994;
Transdisciplinarity through Structured Dialogue: Beyond sterile dualities
in meetings to the
challenge of participant impotence
, 1994; Misappropriation of words of power
, 1995;
Interacting Fruitfully with Un-Civil Society: the dilemma for non-civil society
organizations
, 1996; Distorted Understandings of Synthesis: Reconfiguring the challenge
of wholeness
, 1997; Undermining Open Civil Society: Reinforcing unsustainable restrictive
initiatives
, 1999; Arming Civil Society Worldwide
, 2003; Global Civil Society: strategic
comments on the path ahead
, 2003). A particular concern has been conceptal manipulation and
definitional game-playing (
Language Games
, 1995) and the constraints of bias (
Anti-
Developmental Biases in Thesaurus Design
, 1981). As noted above, this perspective gave rise
to sessions of an International School of Ignorance (
1996
) over a period of years (198-1998
*?), to concern with the "unsaid" and to a highly critical approach to the evidence associated
with
"terrorism" and how it is conceived ****
positives, appreciation
Potential:
The Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential
was deliberately
designed to offset the documentation of "problems" by information on the variety of dimensions
of
human potential (
1991
), to build a relationship between them (
Phases of human development
through challenging problems
, 1991), and to demonstrate its relevance (
1991
). A related
concern has been with how external problems are embodied (
Liberation of Integration through
pattern, oscillation, harmony and embodiment
, 1980; Embodiment in patterns of alternation
,
1991; Personal Globalization
, 2001; Embodying the Sphere of Change
, 2001; Psychology of
Sustainability: Embodying cyclic environmental processes
, 2002; My Reflecting Mirror
World: making Joburg worthwhile
, 2002). A distinct approach has been a form of appreciative
inquiry
into the potential represented by various collective alternative initiatives (
Challenges to
Learning from the Swadhyaya Movement
, 1995; Gardening Sustainable Psycommunities:
Recognizing the psycho-social integrities of the future
, 1995; Dancing through Interfaces
and Paradoxes: group alchemy
, 1997; Renaissance Zones: experimenting with the
intentional significance of the Damanhur community
, 2003) and the high-tech global extreme
(
Simulating a Global Brain: using networks of international organizations, world
problems, strategies, and values
, 2001). The potential in the personal development of the
individual (see personal above
) has also been explored (see notably Authentic Grokking:
Emergence of Homo conjugens
, 2003) |
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1. Metaphor
