“We don’t see things as they are. We see things as we are.” - Anais Nin

1. “We don’t see things as they are. We see things as we are.” - Anais Nin

2. It’s an Intervention! “When you make a world tolerable for yourself, you make a world tolerable for others.” - Anais Nin

3. What is Bad Faith when it comes to Equality? What is “bad faith” when it comes to equality? “…it is only necessary to act in the customary, ordinary, usual, even polite manner. Nonetheless, I doubt that any of us who does so is totally without the knowledge that something is wrong. To slide into decisions without allowing oneself to realize that one is making any; to feel dimly that one is enjoying advantages without trying to become clearly aware of what those advantages are (and who hasn’t got them);to accept mystifications because they’re customary and comfortable; cooking one’s mental books to congratulate oneself on traditional behavior as if it were actively moral behavior; to know that one doesn’t know; to prefer not to know; to defend one’s status as already knowing with half-sincere, half-selfish passion as “objectivity” – This great, fuzzy area of human ingenuity is what Jean Paul Sartre calls “bad faith.” When spelled out the techniques use to maintain bad faith look morally atrocious and appallingly silly. That is because they are morally atrocious and appallingly silly. But this only shows when one spells them out, i.e., becomes aware of them. Hence this one effort among many to do just that.” Russ, J. (1984) How to Suppress Women’s Writing, London: The Women’s Press.

4. Discuss… “Inasmuch as community psychologists strive to promote liberation and wellbeing in marginalized groups, we are interested in organizational and community interventions that foster these goals.” Page 202 - 203

5. Organizational Intervention “Organizational interventions are systematic methods of enhancing an institution’s capacity to promote the personal, relational, and collective wellbeing of their workers and community stakeholders.” Page 203

6. Politics and Empowerment “We advocate pairing and integration of ameliorative and transformative thinking and action.” Four types of institutions: • Collective action that involves individual transformation • Collective action that does not involve individual transformation • Individual empowerment that involves individual transformation • Individual empowerment that does not involve individual transformation

7. Values that Justify Intervention • Holism • Health • Caring / Compassion • Self-Determination • Participation • Social Justice • Respect for Diversity • Accountability

8. Why Organize? • Reduction of stress • Improvement of life satisfaction • Empowerment / Feelings of control of one’s own life

9. Discuss.. • Why Organize… • Empowerment can only be realized through organizing • Social power is built on the strength of interpersonal relationships • Individual empowerment must be grounded in a dialectic of action and reflection

10. Interventions in Organizations

11. Internal and External Agents of Change

12. Six Possible Roles for Agents of Change “As either external or internal agents of change, community psychologists exert more or less control over the process of change.” • Director • Manager or administrator who makes decisions and gives instructions in order to control the intervention • Expert • Systems Analyst or Organization Consultant who diagnoses problems and uses knowledge to tell others what to do • Consultant • Community Developer and Consultant who makes suggestions and whose influence derives from respect and trust • Resource • Group Trainer or Resource Provider who helps group to collect data and provides training in planning skills • Facilitator • Process consultant, helper or group observer who assists with group processes • Collaborator • Staff, Board or Community Member who is interested in change and joins groups or teams planning and carrying out interventions

13. Let’s Process Personal Emotional Contingencies!

14. Let’s Process Social Emotional Contingencies!

16. The Role of the Community Psychologist • Inclusive Host • Visionary • Asset Seeker • Listener and Sense Maker • Unique Solution Finder • Evaluator • Implementer • Trendsetter

17. The Role of the Community Psychologist • Inclusive Host • Is everyone feeling comfortable? • Is someone dominating the discussion? • As there some people afraid to speak? • Have I made an effort to hear from all the people in the group? • Are people leaving the meeting enthusiastic or disappointed? • Visionary • Have people expressed their aspiration? • Are we able to think of alternative ways of being? • Have we established a process that is democratic and inclusive? • Have we had time to think about the norms that we all want to follow? • Is there collective ownership for the values and vision we have created? • Asset Seeker • Have I asked people how they cope with this difficult situation? • Have we discussed what each of us can contribute to the process? • Are we able to combine our strengths in a synergistic way? • Have I offered my input as an equal member of the group? • Have we explored different types of knowledge and wisdom that can help us in our collaborative work?

18. The Role of the Community Psychologist cont… • Listener and Sense (Meaning) Maker • Have I listened without interruption to what people have to say about their issues? • Have I thought about it in ecological terms? • Have I expressed disagreement or alternative conceptualizations in a respectful way? • Have I thought about the influence of power inequality in this person’s life? • Has the group agreed on the definition of the problem and possible solutions? • Unique Solution Finder • Have I considered with the group the risks and benefits of every course of action? • Have I consulted colleagues and the literature on the merits of various alternatives? • Is our work balancing attention to process with attention to outcomes? • Is the preferred action in accord with our values? • Do we have a contingency plan in case this strategy doesn’t work?

19. The Role of the Community Psychologist cont… • Evaluator • Have we created a space to reflect on how we’re feeling about our work together? • What have we done to evaluate our intervention? • Are people feeling safe enough to express disapproval? • Am I open to challenges and criticsm? • Have we practiced how to give feedback in respectful and useful ways? • Implementer • Have I tried to be an inclusive host, asset seeker, good listener and solution finder? • Have I tried to identify with my partners the most suitable solution for the long term? • Have I made a mental list of the important considerations at play? • Have I considered enabling and inhibiting factors that will impact our plan of action?

20. The Role of the Community Psychologist cont… • Trend Setter • What have we done to make sure that the changes we plan for are maintained? • How do we change the system, not just perceptions, in order to institutionalize innovations? • What group norms can we establish to help members sustain new behaviors? • How can we disseminate knowledge gained in one setting to others? • What do we know from the literature about institutionalizing innovations?

21. Steps for Organizational Change