IDEAS, NEWS AND RESOURCES | May 2023 |
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The Taos Institute's mission is to bring together scholars and practitioners concerned with the social processes essential for the construction of reason, knowledge, and human value, and their application in relational, collaborative and appreciative practices around the world. |
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The Many Ways to Get Involved! |
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Collaborative Dialogue
as Mindfulness Practice
Nearly three decades ago, I began my first doctoral program in Asian Language and Literature with the intention to become a Tibetan Buddhist scholar. However, I soon learned that there wasn’t much of a job market and decided to switch to my backup plan: becoming a professor of psychotherapy. Luckily, I meet Harlene Anderson and the Houston Galveston Institute faculty early in my training. Immediately, I knew I found my tribe because the concepts paralleled so much of the wisdom in Asian philosophies.
In my early years of training, I rarely discussed these connections. It wasn’t until mindfulness became more mainstream that I explored these links more openly. In my recent edited book with Harlene, Collaborative-Dialogic Practice: Relationships and Conversations that Make a Difference Across Contexts and Cultures (Anderson & Gehart, 2023), I challenged myself to put these connections into words and was sincerely surprised with the results (Gehart, 2023). Teasing out the parallels highlighted the importance of the collaborative practitioner’s state of mind and focus when doing this work.
Kabat-Zinn (2003) defines mindfulness as “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment” (p. 145). In traditional mindfulness meditation, the practitioner intentionally directs their attention to a single phenomenon in the present moment, such as one’s breath, a sound, or physical sensation, while quieting their inner dialogue (Gehart, 2012, 2019). I believe the collaborative-dialogic practitioner engages in a similar process, but instead the focus of their present-moment awareness is the thread of meaning that emerges in conversation, which I call following the breadcrumb trail of meaning (Gehart, 2023).
The practitioner follows this breadcrumb trail by tracking how the client interprets the events they describe in conversation as well as tracking how meaning emerges moment-by-moment in conversation. For example, if a client is describing an argument with their boss, the practitioner is tracking the thread of logic that connects what each person said and did and what it meant to the client, without imposing the practitioner’s own habits of interpretation. Tracking this unique thread of meaning requires intense discipline and sustained focus, which is very similar to the focus required for mindfulness meditation. In both cases, there is an intentional decision to lessen one’s attention temporarily on one’s own internal dialogue to focus elsewhere. Although we can never fully silence our inner filters, we can become more aware of them and quiet them for short periods. Mindfulness reminds us of the discipline required to quiet the mind’s innate tendency to evaluate everything. Finally, similar to mindfulness meditation, it is a skill that even after a lifetime of practice, one never masters. Instead, each time one sits down—whether to meditate or dialogue—one is presented with a fresh set of previously unimagined possibilities and challenges that can only be experienced with compassionate awareness in the present moment.
Additional Resources
References
Anderson, H., & Gehart, D. (Eds.). (2023). Collaborative-Dialogic Practice: Generative Relationships and Conversations across Contexts and Cultures. Routledge.
Gehart, D. (2012). Mindfulness and acceptance in couple and family therapy. Springer.
Gehart, D. (2019). Mindfulness for chocolate lovers: A lighthearted way to stress less and savor more each day. Rowman & Littlefield.
Gehart, D. R. (2023). Curiosity as mindfulness practice: Following the moment-to-moment unfolding of meaning construction. In Anderson, H. & Gehart, D. R. (Eds.), Collaborative dialogic practice: Relationships and conversations that make a difference across contexts and cultures (pp. 55-68). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003156260-5.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156.
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For 30 years, Dawn has been the backbone of the Taos Institute. She has ceaselessly turned ideas for programs, initiatives, events, conferences, books, and more, into shimmering realities. Over these years, she has worked diligently, patiently, and collaboratively with Associates, participants and volunteers from the world over to grow a community of people interested in social constructionist, relational, and appreciative ideas and practices.
You are all invited to join us to share a toast and celebrate Dawn's retirement as Executive Director of the Taos Institute! (We are so happy that she will remain available as Operations Advisor.)
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Dialogue with the Authors |
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A free book discussion
with Saliha Bava & Mark Greene
May 19, 10:00-11:00 am EDT
At workplaces, how might we go beyond diversity to create a culture of belonging and connection? In The Relational Workplace, the authors draw on decades of organizational, systems, and communication theory, research, and philosophy, to help us create more fully connected working lives. Bava and Greene have written a playful, accessible, and deeply impactful resource for co-creating human connection, especially across the vast range of intersectional differences that define our global human family.
Join us for a conversation with the authors of The Relational Workplace as they share a wide range of capacities and frames for fostering our relational intelligence, making a powerful case for how relational practices can help grow ADEI cultures of connection. More details and registration here.
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All past Dialogue with the Author recordings are available on our YouTube channel!
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What's Happening in the Commons |
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Join with over 800 members in the Taos Institute Commons online community as we explore social constructionist, relational, and appreciative theory and practices. To make it easier for you to connect with one another, we invite you to attend one of the upcoming events in the Commons: Taos Conversations are informal, interactive, and stimulating conversations on a particular topic. Meet & Greets are offered every two weeks. Stop by to say hello, even if only for a few minutes. Both are free and open to all.
to become a part of our global family.
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May 24, 4:00 pm EDT
Play. Dialogue. Co-created conversation. Activistic listening. Improvisation... Let’s discuss and deconstruct Cathy Salit's particular executive coaching practices to help clients to grow, lead, disrupt and develop. Register here.
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June 6, 2:00 pm EDT
Mark Hamptom invites you to explore how Relationalism can be incorporated into Artificial Intelligence to address the shortcomings of traditional education systems, accelerate relational approaches, and the importance of educating those building Artificial Intelligence on Relationalism. Register here.
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June 22, 12:00 pm EDT
Are your colleagues “officers” while you aren’t part of the military? Do you rely on “human resources/capital” instead of human beings? Claudia Gross invites a deeper dive into practical examples of language at work and the influence they have on our mind and behavior, individually and collectively. Register here.
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May 17, 8:00 pm EDT
June 1, 1:00 pm EDT
We invite you to join these informal gatherings to meet other Taos Institute Commons members and share stories of how you are applying (or hoping to apply) social constructionist, relational and appreciative approaches into your work and life. Stop by to say hello and see what this online community is all about!
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Announcing Future Programs! |
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Constructionists assume that what we take to be true, just, rational and right emerges from the interactions between people. We focus on inquiring into the many perspectives that shape the issues we confront in our families, communities, organizations, and cultural institutions so that even radically diverse worldviews are no longer threats but can be approached with curiosity and respect.
How do you bring social construction to your work and personal life and develop practices that build understanding, respect, and healing rather than conflict, harm, and isolation?
The following online programs are all rooted in social constructionist and relational theory, yet differ in their focus and format, to meet you exactly where you are.
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A 6-week online workshop with Celiane Camargo-Borges
Sept 11-Oct 16, 2023
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Join us in this journey to comprehend how aspects of the world that are taken for granted are socially constructed, thereby opening space for alternative ways to engage in practice and with people. In this workshop you will not just learn about social constructionist theory and practice but also connect it to your own field of research, practice, or life and explore the positive impact that this paradigm shift has on society at large. This workshop includes weekly live meetings on zoom. More details here.
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Relational Process Theory & Practice
2 online workshops with Ken Gergen
November 4 and 11, 2023
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These two workshops explore one of the most celebrated books by Kenneth Gergen, Relational Being: Beyond Self and Community. The first is an introductory workshop (Nov. 4) and explores the fundamentals of Relational Process Theory, its significance, and its realization in practice. A second, more advanced workshop (Nov. 11) includes re-formulations of psychology, the process of communication, and ethics, along with practical implications. Each workshop consists of a 3-hour discussion with Ken Gergen. Details to come.
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with Harlene Anderson & Sheila McNamee
Coming in early 2024
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A hands-on workshop for therapists, coaches, consultants, and other practitioners who want to learn more humanizing, non-pathologizing approaches to creating transformative relationships and dialogue with their clients. Participants experience a new way of being: radical presence, practicing pause, enhanced curiosity, non-judgmental understanding... More details here.
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Secure your space on one (or all!) of these life-changing experiences
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"I love the Taos Institute's hopeful vision for society. Your transformative work moves humanity forward." - Thomas Lai, Taos Institute Commons Member
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June 9-10
This online program with Suzanne Gazzolo, PhD, LCPC & Matt Mooney, LICSW is a skill-based, two-day training for people wanting to learn how narrative therapy ideas are put into practice in therapeutic settings. In particular, we explore externalizing practices and skills in the context of deconstructing and re-authoring therapy conversations. Clinical examples and experiential exercises will help support participants’ learning. Participants can expect to learn how narrative practitioners work to help people separate their lives from problems and identify new steps they can take that fit with their hopes and values. After completing this course, you can further your skill development through NTI's Narrative Certificate Program, which begins each fall. Details available here.
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New Book
By Kenneth J. Gergen
This fully updated fourth edition of Gergen’s An Invitation to Social Construction introduces a key theoretical movement in contemporary social science through a wide range of multidisciplinary examples. The fourth edition includes: wider consideration of contemporary global challenges, increased coverage of media, digital culture, and relevant political issues, and updated real-world examples of social constructionist theory in action, in research, education, therapy, organizations, and peace building. Get 25% off with code TAOSINST25 at Sagepub.com or ebooks.com. Mark your calendar for our next Dialogue with the Author with Kenneth Gergen on June 21, 2023.
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New Book
Edited by Amir B. Marvasti and Jaber F. Gubrium
Through a series of case studies, this book provides an understanding of the practice of ethnographic fieldwork in a variety of contexts, from everyday settings to formal institutions. Demonstrating that ethnography is best viewed as a series of site-specific challenges, it showcases ethnographic fieldwork as ongoing analytic engagement with concrete social worlds. Crafting Ethnographic Fieldwork will appeal to scholars and students across the social sciences with interests in the practice of participant observation and related questions of research methodology.
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Issue 12 is Available
This free journal brings together members of a growing international community of practitioners, scholars, educators, researchers, and consultants interested in postmodern collaborative practices.
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FREE downloadable books in 12 different languages. Like all of the Taos Institute Publications, WorldShare Books represent significant contributions relevant to social constructionist theory and practice. With over 30 books in English and many more from around the world, you will enjoy reading about education, spirituality, organizational life, community building, group dynamics, leadership and more.
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By focusing on the positive aspects of aging and the availability of resources, skills, and resiliencies, research brings useful insights into the realm of practice, creates hope and empowers action among older people. By moving beyond practices of repair and prevention, to emphasize growth-enhancing activities, practitioners also contribute more effectively to the societal reconstruction of aging. For 20 years, late Taos Institute co-founder Mary Gergen, Ph.D. has inspired and driven the publication of this free newsletter - also translated in 9 languages!
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Access hundreds of articles and papers on topics such as:
- Appreciative Inquiry
- Collaborative Practices
- Dialogic Practices
- Creativity and Change
- Narrative Practices
- Relational Research
- Relational Learning
- Qualitative Research
- and so much more!
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In the current global context, the work in which we engage is more important than ever. You can make a difference by supporting our mission to create a promising future through social construction. Read more
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In loving memory of Taos Institute co-founder and board member Mary Gergen, Ph.D.. Mary was an innovator in feminist theory, social constructionism, and qualitative methods. She was an inspiration and mentor to thousands of people around the world. She deeply cared about making the world a better place and her contributions will be felt for generations. Read more
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