IDEAS, NEWS AND RESOURCES | April 2021
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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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Brief Encounter with The Taos Institute |
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"Collaborative-dialogic practitioners seek to create space for dialogue to co-create change." |
"At the heart of collaborative practice we aim for opportunities to create polyphony and embrace a variety of wisdoms, acknowledging and being in conversation with multiple voices and views." |
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Collaborative-Dialogic Practitioners as Infiltrators
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I feel so fortunate over the last decade to have met the most talented and brilliant colleagues. Inspired by the work of Harlene Anderson, collaborative-dialogic practitioners influence, impact and transform the relational spaces they nurture and ideas they co-create with others. I have witnessed how collaborative friends and colleagues are magnificent infiltrators transforming practices within communities and organizations either in therapy, education, supervision, policy, research, and other fields of practice. I have been observing and participating, and asking myself, how are they able to do that? Here are some thoughts:
Curiosity as Advocacy
In general terms, advocacy implies supporting other people and helping them express or communicate their ideas and perspectives, and supporting them standing up for their rights. Collaborative-dialogic practitioners feel confident in asking questions, particularly difficult ones. They become genuinely curious, and this helps them to open dialogue and collaboration. For example, I have been in different spaces where we are selecting people for different roles. I have seen structural racism and polices that affect immigrants, refugees, BIPOC people and marginalized groups. When I witness social injustices in this selection processes, I start asking difficult questions: How long ago was this policy created? Who were the writers? Who decided this? Why are international students not able to…? How are we deciding who can become a member and who cannot? What ideas are influencing our current decisions? From within, let’s be infiltrators and start asking challenging questions to advocate for others who have less power.
Not-knowing as Revolution
We can understand revolution as any attempt of a group or community to change the “political system” of their country. However, revolution happens in other areas too: arts, science, psychology, therapeutic practices, etc. For me revolution is about transforming dominant and oppressive practices and, of course, is political. Harlene Anderson (2005) has largely discussed the term “not-knowing” and the most critical connotation for me is the emphasis of people making meaning with each other and recognizing that dialogue is an interactive process where new meanings and understandings are produced. Collaborative-dialogic practitioners seek to create space for dialogue to co-create change. For example, to create more diverse spaces, they are very intentional about making people feel welcomed, valued, appreciated, visible, and important. Collaborative learning communities are a great example of this intentionality. At the heart of collaborative practice we aim for opportunities to create polyphony and embrace a variety of wisdoms, acknowledging and being in conversation with multiple voices and views. From within, let’s be infiltrators and make new meanings for a more inclusive and equitable world.
Radical Listening as Disruption
In a world dominated by micromanaging, dictating, and prescribing how to practice in our fields (how to teach, how to do therapy, how to do research, etc.), I find that radical listening and radical presence (McNamee, 2015) can be amazing disruptive actions that challenge traditional ways to practice and it provides opportunities for people with whom we relate to expand their imagination, and open their eyes, minds, and ears to the novel, brave, and unrestrained ways of being. From within, let’s be infiltrators and allow ourselves to be amazed and inspired by others and make them feel heard.
You will be delighted to know that Harlene Anderson, Sheila McNamee, Ken Gergen, and Jakko Seikkula are the guest speakers for the opening session on June 5th.
References
McNamee, S. (2015). Radical presence: Alternatives to the therapeutic state. European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling: Beyond the Therapeutic State, 17(4), 373–383.
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Dialogue with the Authors |
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Section 5: Practices in Education
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About the Dialogue
Join with Taos Institute Associate and section editor, Thalia Dragonas, PhD, and the authors as they explore the ideas in Section 5 - Practices in Education of The SAGE Handbook of Social Constructionist Practice. This new book is a celebration of voices from the Taos Institute and offers a major review of social construction. It showcases the latest theory and application of social construction across a range of disciplines. This review of the field is timely while also pointing to future directions in practice. The focus in each chapter is on real-world practice in addition to theoretical work, thus making it useful for advanced students, scholars, and practitioners alike.
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Future Dialogues with Authors of The Sage Handbook of Social Constructionist Practice:
May 20 – Section 6: Practices in Healthcare with Murilo Moscheta (Register)
June 24 – Section 7: Community Practices with Marie Hoskins (Register)
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Professional Development Opportunities |
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A Taos Institute Online Course
October 4 - November 8, 2021
A 6-Week Online Course with
Relational theory now provides cutting edge ideas relevant to practices across the professions. The major theoretical shift is from the traditional focus on individuals to the relational processes that are co-produced. This 6-week online course introduces common premises and orienting ideas central to relational theory. The course consists of six modules with online conference meetings, readings, videos and online dialogues.
Participants also explore Ken Gergen's book, Relational Being: Beyond Self and Community, which gives voice to the critique of individualism, but also develops and illustrates a far more radical and potentially exciting landscape of relational thought and practice that now exists.
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An Online Conference
August 9-11, 2021
Join the conversation and shape the future of education!
Education as Relating… The world is ready…the future is at hand… for replacing assembly-line classrooms with the vitalizing powers of relating. The directions are clear: from standardization to dialogue, from control to co-creation, and from regimentation to collaboration. Here lie the wellsprings of creativity, caring, and curiosity. Here we prepare for a global future in which inclusion, innovation, and improvisation are essential for a world in harmony. Come join in this virtual conference designed for sharing and exploring practices, experiences, and inspirations in all aspects of education – within classrooms, communities, and outward to the circling globe. Come join in shaping the future of education.
This virtual conference is for… educators, administrators, students, parents, school leaders, change agents, and everyone who is interested in moving education, educational systems and educational practices towards relational, collaborative and appreciate ways of teaching/learning.
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The International Certificate of Collaborative-Dialogic Practices (ICCP) presents:
June 5-26, 2021
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The 5th bi-annual ICCP International Conference offers a space for rich transformative dialogues that span disciplines, contexts, and cultures.
Special guests include Jaakko Seikkula, Harlene Anderson, Sheila McNamee and Kenneth Gergen. There will be an opening session on June 5th and a closing session on June 26th with more than 75 workshops spread out over the days between.
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con María Luisa (Papusa) Molina, Ph.D.
La Investigación Social Dialógica es una manera de facilitar investigación centrada en el diálogo. Es pensar con. Es indagar con las personas, sus voces, sus experiencias y sus textos, en vez de hacer investigación acerca de las personas, sus experiencias, sus voces y sus textos. El concepto creado por Janice DeFehr, ha estado en uso, en el Instituto Kanankil, por más de 10 años; es utilizado en el desarrollo de las tesis de Maestría en sus programas de Psicoterapia, Terapia de Familias y Parejas, y la maestría en Prácticas Colaborativas y Dialógicas.
*English subtitles available in YouTube
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Featured Podcast
An interview with Scherto Gill, Ph.D.
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Announcing a new Taos Worldshare Book!
by Rik Spann & Simon Martin
The challenges we encounter in our everyday world(s) require updated and sophisticated types of ‘conversation’, literally and in a wider sense. It’s not just about the content, it’s about the relationships, the interactions. Embodied sensemaking offers ideas; the worlds of music, art and design offer new sounds and vistas. An open exploration of the metaphors that shape the potentialities and limitations of our perspectives is a starting point for ‘re-sounding’ any ‘thing’, experience, phenomenon or style of relating, in order to set the stage for another type of being ‘in concert’.
Building on complexity science, social constructionism, insights and experiences from the worlds of music, art, dance and design, and the phenomenon of improvisation in all its subtleties, this book invites you into an exploration into what ‘shifting sound’ can do. How can musicological themes and variations like harmony, melody, rhythm, tone, resonance, or dissonance open up tangible options for collaborative action in the face of adaptive challenges and wicked problems? Spann & Martin offer a backstage view into their world and work.
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ISSUE 10 Available Now!
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 not only brings useful insights into the realm of practice but 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.
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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 Learning
- Relational Research
- Qualitative Research
- and so much more!
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Donate to the Taos Institute
Given the current global context, the work in which we are engaged is more important than ever. You can make a difference by supporting our mission to create promising future through social construction. Read more
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John Shotter Memorial Fund
John Shotter's death on December 8, 2016, was a profound loss for the scholarly world, for the Taos Institute, and for many of us personally. Read more
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Jane Magruder Watkins Memorial Fund
We remember Jane as an avid educator. This fund will support students who apply for a need-based scholarship to attend the various Taos programs. Read more
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Peggy Penn WorldShare Fund
Supports the publication of new WorldShare Books on topics related to the work and interests of Peggy Penn, Ph.D. Read more
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