Dialectical and Socratic Approaches to Social Transformation
Kaitlin Brackett, the support facilitator for this workshop, will be able to provide role modeling for the seminar portion of the workshop. As an example of how to apply the methods described in the workshop, she will 'think-aloud' interactively on Tom Torres's activism with UBS: Hands Off Appalachia Campaign. He and his team use art and non-violent direct action to address issues concerning mountain top removal in West Virginia. Here is the link to learn more about their work: https://www.facebook.com/HandsOffAppalachia.
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
This workshop provides direct instruction and experiential practice in dialectical and Socratic methods that can be applied as tools for social transformation. After learning about the social meaning, norms and forms of these approaches, participants engage directly in a seminar that explores, through symbolic understanding, and World examples such as the Estonian Singing Revolution, the ways in which the themes of ‘Mountains’ and ‘Music’ are universal to human understandings about well-being and higher levels of evolution. Through investigation of ‘generative themes’ (Freire), participants will discover transformative ways of relating to knowledge emerging on the local level within Appalachia. Opening to a larger vision and sense of purpose, participants will question how Appalachians may serve as inspirational ‘Trail-blazers’ of social innovation, responsive moral empaths and comforters for brothers and sisters around the world. Three dimensions of social meaning embodied in the dialectical approach are first outlined: 1. The creation of egalitarian infrastructure that bestows new normative constituent power to each participant, encouraging participatory democracy. 2. The alignment of ‘means’ or ways of relating, with ‘ends’ or desired outcomes, in the social transformation process, which affects the quality of its results. 3. The cultivation of open-minded, open-hearted, dispositions that nurture World Citizenship, uplifting the significance of local efforts. Next, the social forms and norms of these approaches are clearly explained and modeled, so that even ‘beginners’ may engage in the seminar. The final experiential component of the workshop is facilitated by the moderator, with participants gently guided towards increasingly refined insight.
Dialectical and Socratic Approaches to Social Transformation
This workshop provides direct instruction and experiential practice in dialectical and Socratic methods that can be applied as tools for social transformation. After learning about the social meaning, norms and forms of these approaches, participants engage directly in a seminar that explores, through symbolic understanding, and World examples such as the Estonian Singing Revolution, the ways in which the themes of ‘Mountains’ and ‘Music’ are universal to human understandings about well-being and higher levels of evolution. Through investigation of ‘generative themes’ (Freire), participants will discover transformative ways of relating to knowledge emerging on the local level within Appalachia. Opening to a larger vision and sense of purpose, participants will question how Appalachians may serve as inspirational ‘Trail-blazers’ of social innovation, responsive moral empaths and comforters for brothers and sisters around the world. Three dimensions of social meaning embodied in the dialectical approach are first outlined: 1. The creation of egalitarian infrastructure that bestows new normative constituent power to each participant, encouraging participatory democracy. 2. The alignment of ‘means’ or ways of relating, with ‘ends’ or desired outcomes, in the social transformation process, which affects the quality of its results. 3. The cultivation of open-minded, open-hearted, dispositions that nurture World Citizenship, uplifting the significance of local efforts. Next, the social forms and norms of these approaches are clearly explained and modeled, so that even ‘beginners’ may engage in the seminar. The final experiential component of the workshop is facilitated by the moderator, with participants gently guided towards increasingly refined insight.
