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IDEAS, NEWS AND RESOURCES | February 2018
We hope you enjoy receiving our newsletter which includes constructionist ideas and practices as well as news and resources from the Taos Institute.
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Brief Encounters with The Taos Institute
February 2018
This month, Dora Ayora-Talavera, Taos Associate, shares with us a special project that was funded by the Taos Institute Associates' Grant program.
Teachers of Love and Resilience:
Social Constructionist Practices with Children
By Dora A. Ayora-Talavera, PhD
Mérida, Yucatán, México
In September 2015, I began working in an orphanage with children who have been sent to it by government agencies. Children can stay in this institution indefinitely; some may be there for few weeks, and others may stay there for months or years, depending on the options for being adopted by a family.
All of the children come from abandoned, violent or sexual abuse situations. There are 16 children living there now, between the ages 4 and 16 years old. Without shame, the boys and girls show scars on their arms and legs, and the other scars that lie in their hearts.
Last July, my team and I proposed to the principal that we embark on an ambitious project that would help the children construct promising futures for themselves. Yet, at the beginning we did not know what the children needed and wanted. We just started sharing time with them, introducing artistic performances and cultural activities to promote positive relationships, and to create spaces to open dialogue about the children's needs, worries and interests.
Because this was a new collaboration, it took us some time to create relationships with the children, to gain their confidence, and especially that of the principal. Eventually they all knew that we were not going to disappear, but that we would be there on a regular basis. We've been there for more than a year now, visiting and sharing ourselves with the children. In this time, we have learned that they value presence, love, conversation, time, and fun.
Together with the children we have developed artistic and cultural activities and through this, space for
dialogue. We have combined reading poetry and short stories; doing spelling games; and watching movies and documentaries. We read books that have been donated to the orphanage. We held a workshop on music improvisation, and we introduced a writing activity called "Life's Story Books", in which they started writing stories of their own lives as well as fictional stories. We have also participated in birthday celebrations, which are highlights for all of us. Recently the principal asked us to do some additional individual sessions and group interventions that would focus on lying, violent behavior and how to help the children develop more respectful relationships among themselves. Whatever activity we do leads us to be together with the children, share our mutual interests, and feed our growing friendship.
During the past eighteen months of this program, we have developed very close relationships with the children. They are as interested in us and our lives as we are in theirs; they ask about our health, how we are doing, what we did when we were away, and if one of us does not go to visit them that week, they ask, where is she/he? Is he/she fine?
Last week, we made a collage about "Being Respectful." Every child prepared a presentation. The beauty of their voices was a gift to all present. At the end of the presentations, most of them thanked us for our interest in them, and for our time and the love we share with them. When we ask ourselves, are we really making a difference here? The answer is Yes!
When we think about our work, looking at whether or not we are making a difference, three basic assumptions arise for us:
1) Human connection - we are seeing a very committed connection with them as human beings and their needs, seeing them as people in special conditions, without feelings of pity toward them; we value them and their stories; we talk with them honestly and openly. We take care of their need to develop confidence in themselves.
2) Presence and continuity - it has been very important that we let them know that we will be there, every week. They teach us the importance of constancy and stability, as a way to build trust, to be together, and to face the uncertainties of life.
3) Conversations - the children have been our best partners for dialogue, asking simple questions that challenge every preconception that we have of them and talking to us about "how to work with kids". Every week our conversations are freer, closer and more intimate.
At the end of the day, these children have been teachers of love and resilience, because of the ways that they give of themselves without conditions and the ways they receive gratefully.
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Taos Institute Events and Gatherings
The Many Ways to Get Involved.....
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The Taos Institute Silver Jubilee
25 Years of Innovation in Social Construction
A Conference and a Celebration!
November 8 - 11, 2018
(Pre-conference Nov. 7-8)
Cancun, Mexico
At the Fiesta Americana Resort
and Conference Center
We are very excited about this event marking our 25th anniversary since the founding of the Taos Institute. Save the date and plan to join us as we celebrate The Taos Institute's 25th Anniversary. This special conference will highlight the theories and practices of social construction over the past 25 years, as well as explore what the future may hold.
This is sure to be the event of the year!
We hope you will join us and bring along with you someone new to social construction and relational practice - student, colleague, co-worker, friend! Let's co-create the future and engage with the next generation!
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Relational Welfare
An International Conference in Collaborative Practices and Human Centered Governance
Relational Welfare and Relational Leadership
June 27 - 29 2018, Aarhus, Denmark
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Taos Workshops
- Designing Crazy Patchworks: Co-creating Collaborative Research, with Celiane Borges, Jasmina Sermijn
- Social Construction, Relational Theory and Change Practices, with Ken and Mary Gergen
- June 8 - 10, 2018 in Wallingford, Pennsylvania
- www.taosinstitute.net/social-construction-relational-theory-and-change-practices-june-8-10
Taos Online Courses
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Practical Tips for Writing Your Dissertation - with Rich Furman.
Friends of the Taos Institute Workshops and Events
- Social Therapeutics @ the Grassroots and and in the Academy: A 12-Week Developmental Challenge
- Mad in America: Where Can We Go From Here? An Online Revolutionary Conversation with Lois Holzman and Robert Whitaker
- Appreciative Leadership Development Program, with Diana Whitney
- Summer Institute, with Harlene Anderson and Sylvia London An Experiential Learning Community in Postmodern / Social Construction Collaborative-Dialogic Practices across Cultures, Contexts & Disciplines
- Appreciative Inquiry Community Jam! Early registration open.
- The Tenth Performing the World (PTW) Conference
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International Relational Research Network Meeting and Global Dialogues
The Winter Article Reading
and Discussion Series Continues...
The Article Series continues as we offer an opportunity, for anyone interested, to read a scholarly article or chapter on research, and then join in a conversation about that article. This article reading series is open to everyone. No need to pre-register. Free and open to the public.
For anyone interested, join in a conversation about these articles:
Friday, February 23, 1:00 PM US Eastern time/New York time
Host: Papusa Molina
Guest: Leticia Rodriguez
Article: Rodriguez, Leticia, Trabajo colaborativo con adolescentes separadas de sus familias por el sistema de justicia, en contextos de injusticia social - Click here for article.
Language: Spanish
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Friday, March 9
at 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM US Eastern/New York time
Host: Rocio Chaveste
Instead of an article for this conversation, we will explore together this video on relational research.
This video now includes the Spanish translation transcript - you can see this in the right column on youtube and select Spanish.
Language:
Spanish
Friday, March 23 at 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM US Eastern/New York time
Host: Papusa Molina
Instead of an article for this conversation, we will explore together this video on relational research.
Language:
English
Details: For all the information including host, article, date and time of the conversation and link to join the conversation please visit the Taos Institute website at:
How to join in the article series conversations:
- Visit and then download the articles at www.taosinstitute.net/relational-research-network
- Read the article
- Come prepared with questions, examples, comments
- Mark your calendar and arrive on time for the conversation
- No need to pre-register for these
- Use the zoom link provided on that web page to join the call
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World Positive Education Accelerator and Appreciative Inquiry Summit on Education
June 25- 28, 2018, Fort Worth, Texas
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It is our special pleasure to announce The Taos Institute's first publication of books in the Arabic language.
WorldShare Books includes publications in English, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, and even Farci. But at long last we have opened a significant channel of communication with the Arab World.
We express our enormous appreciation to Edgar Noumair for his dedicated work to this project. It is though his efforts and the support of the Anath Foundation, that we now have posted on the web
translations of three key books:
- Appreciative inquiry: Positive approaches to building cooperative capacity (Barrett and Fry)
- Mapping dialogue: Essential tools for social change (Bojer, Roehl, et.al.)
- Social Construction: Entering the Dialogue (Gergen and Gergen)
Donate to the Peggy Penn WorldShare Books Fund
This fund helps to cover the expenses of offering these online books free of charge to anyone in the world.
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Check out our Newest Books:
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Paths to Positive Aging: Dog Days with a Bone and Other Essays
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by Mary and Ken Gergen
Mary and Ken Gergen are devoted to the cause of reinventing aging. To focus on the gains of aging is to realize that the later years are among the richest and most rewarding of one's life. In their dedication to this reconstruction, the Gergens publish the Positive Aging Newsletter, an electronic newsletter, available in seven languages (
www.positiveaging.net).
In this book, the Gergens share ideas and experiences designed to inspire others as they age.
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Communicating Possibilities:
A Brief Introduction to the Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM)
by Ilene Wasserman and Beth Fisher-Yoshida
Communicating Possibilities is an introduction to the Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM), a practical theory which at its roots, is an approach to looking at our social interactions. In the process of stepping back to look at our interactions and how we construct our social worlds, we open possibilities of alternative paths and outcomes. CMM offers tools and frameworks to use so when we pause and notice what we are making together and how, we open up spaces to make better choices with more desirable relationships each turn of the way.
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Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM): A Research Manual
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by Natasha A Rascon and Stephen Littlejohn
Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM): A Research Manual invites those who are interested, intrigued, or invested in CMM to explore the theory as method. Through conversations, Rascon and Littlejohn discussed the many research possibilities and created a manual that offers several frameworks for practical research. The manual provides contexts for applying CMM tools and models as well as many examples from researchers and professionals. Those who have been introduced to CMM and are interested in discovering possibilities for their research and practical interests at any level should enjoy the offerings of this book.
For more information
→
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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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Join the Taos Institute NING Online Community website
Participate in online conversations, share resources, ask questions, connect with others doing similar work. Also, we feature special events on this community website.
Join in many different forums, groups and conversations:
1. Taos Institute Europe
2. Collaborative Governance
3. Relational Learning
4. Relational Research
5. Taos Latin America
6. Intergenerativity and Innovation
and many more at:
http://taoslearning.ning.com/
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Welcome (Bienvenidos) to the International Journal of Collaborative Practices. The Journal brings together members of a growing international community of practitioners, scholars, educators, researchers, and consultants interested in postmodern collaborative practices.
Sponsored by Taos Institute and Houston Galveston Institute
I
ssue 7- Available Now in English and Spanish -
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You can help to make a difference...
These are challenging times, and you can make a difference by supporting the Taos Institute's efforts to bring about more promising futures.
Help us to continue our work in:
- Creating and Expanding Collaborative Practices Globally
- Promoting Dialogic Means for Reducing Conflict
- Providing Degree Opportunities for Practitioners
- Offering Cutting Edge Publications in Multiple Languages: Free or at Low Cost
- Generating Resources for Positive Aging
- Creating Global Forms and Conferences for Constructing New Futures
Given the perilous global context into which we are moving, we feel the work in which we are engaged is more important than ever. We hope you can join with us as we continue to develop resources to aid the global community in co-creating more viable futures.
The Taos Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and all donations are tax deductible in the US.
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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.
We are committed to exploring, developing and disseminating ideas and practices that promote creative, appreciative and collaborative processes in families, communities and organizations around the world through a social constructionist lens.
We look forward to your participation in the dialogue.
Keep up with our updates!
Dawn Dole, Executive Director
The Taos Institute
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