[Xmca-l] Re: Interesting to think about: the social springs of giving
Andy Blunden
ablunden@mira.net
Wed Oct 21 20:07:13 PDT 2015
The great thing about Jane Jacobs, Larry, is that this arose
as part of a practical struggle to defend her city against
its destruction by corporatist interests. I think her works
are of profound philosophical significance, but her concerns
were very practical. And creating communities with "eyes on
the street" as she put it, a simple matter of laying out
streets and buildings.
Andy
------------------------------------------------------------
*Andy Blunden*
http://home.pacific.net.au/~andy/
On 22/10/2015 2:06 PM, Larry Purss wrote:
>
> Andy,
>
> I want to stay with Jane Jacobs, and her description of
> healthy cities. They are places where any adult would come
> to the aid of any child on the pavement.
>
> Levinas said we are called to respond to the face of the
> other. We can turn away but this is to retreat or withdraw
> from the call.
>
> Andy I believe you are pointing out that different
> traditions [religious and secular] can nurture our
> capacity to not turn away from the other.
>
> I hear this as a question [not an answer]. How central are
> *ethical* actions to healthy cities?
>
> We often say that discursive conversational, dialectical,
> dialogical orientations [which are not foundational a
> priori answers] are the places or spaces that generate
> ethical actions.
>
> However is it possible that the *ethical* is the central
> focus and our discursive, conversational, dialectical,
> dialogical actions are ways of expressing our shared
> *ethical* con - cerns.
>
> This fits with your understanding that because the USA is
> still oriented to the Christian *ethical* while
> Australia's *ethical* orientation is to turn to state
> solutions as ways to answer the *ethical* QUESTION.
>
> The dialogical, discursive conversational approaches are
> opening generative questions [in contrast to a priori
> blueprint answers].
>
> Your question that both the secular and religious
> traditions can be vehicles which call us to respond [or
> turn away] leaves open how we come to understand,
> interpret, and apply *ethical* callings but is it possible
> to find common *ethical*goals which honor religious and
> secular orientations in a shared common sense?
>
> I will just mention as an aside that Habermas recently has
> been engaged with these questions moving beyond
> conversational rationality to re-engage the religious impulse.
>
> larry
>
> Sent from Mail
> <http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows 10
>
>
> *From: *Greg Mcverry
> *Sent: *Wednesday, October 21, 2015 6:02 PM
> *To: *ablunden@mira.net;eXtended Mind, Culture,
> Activity;mike cole
> *Subject: *[Xmca-l] Re: Interesting to think about: the
> social springs of giving
>
> I ran a fundraiser for my dying nephew. It meant so many
> things to so many
>
> people.
>
> But mainly it provided a rallying cry, a sword against the
> windmill of
>
> nature's indiscriminate hand. And for my brother and his
> wife it provided a
>
> purpose for their son and the means to survive the
> pitfalls of American
>
> healthcare.
>
> Made me think that spaces of grievance and hope are unique
> networks of
>
> adult and community learning.
>
> That is what Make a Wish does. It provides a little bit a
> hope in the face
>
> of a known and horrible destiny.
>
> On Wed, Oct 21, 2015, 8:53 PM Andy Blunden
> <ablunden@mira.net> wrote:
>
> > Mike, it is a suggestion that the phenomena manifested by
>
> > Make-a-Wish in NE Arkansas may not be portable, and that the
>
> > kind of social change achieved requires other means in other
>
> > places.
>
> > After kind of touring the world, Horton went back, more or
>
> > less, to his home territory to set up the base to use adult
>
> > education as an instrument for social transformation. The
>
> > merits of beginning from your own roots is one of the
>
> > conclusions I drew from my years of ultraleft activity. In
>
> > the 1970s, all over the world, people of my generation who
>
> > had been radicalised in the mass movements of the 1960s
>
> > abandoned the professions they would otherwise have joined
>
> > after completing university and went to work in factories
>
> > based on convictions that this was where social
>
> > transformation could be achieved. A big mistake. Just like
>
> > in many countries our opposite numbers left the cities and
>
> > went into the countryside. Big mistake.
>
> > This was not a mistake made by the woman who is the
>
> > inspiration behind this obsession with Make-a-Wish in NE
>
> > Arkansas. She was a child who got her real wish fulfilled
>
> > and got better after being the subject of a Make-a-Wish
>
> > project, and what she decided to do with her life was lots
>
> > and lots of Make-a-Wish projects in her home town and
>
> > surrounds. Good decision.
>
> > Now, there is a strong sense of "Only in America" in this
>
> > story. I am not much of a theologian, having been raised by
>
> > Communists myself and never having been to Damascus. But I
>
> > think it could only be in a country so utterly steeped in
>
> > Christianity as rural U S of A that Make-a-Wish could so
>
> > grip entire communities.
>
> > In social democratic countries like Australia, Make-a-Wish
>
> > has a life, but it is not a big thing and nor is any variety
>
> > of philanthropy. When people want to do something to help
>
> > there is a powerful reflex which says that the proper way to
>
> > help is to get government or at the very least some kind of
>
> > statutory authority to take on the problem in a permanent,
>
> > universal commitment. Which does produce weird phenomena
>
> > from time to time. Whenever there is a tsunami or a famine,
>
> > Australians give billions on a personal basis and our
>
> > governments give very little.
>
> > Now this brings me to a puzzle which I have wrestled with
>
> > most of my life without resolution. Almost everyone I see
>
> > doing good, selfless community service, even including
>
> > self-help and community development work, is motivated by
>
> > religion. There are those of us who serve the community
>
> > motivated by secular ideals, but we are really a small
>
> > minority. This is a real conundrum for those of us motivated
>
> > by secular ideals because we rely on the idea that secular
>
> > ideals are powerful enough to motivate meaningful
>
> > life-projects which are not self-serving.
>
> > One of the attractions of Make-a-Wish is that it is a
>
> > project-of-projects. In fact, most of the participants
>
> > probably are not even conscious of an overall project, just
>
> > "Make-a-Wish".
>
> > None of the above goes to the key relation at the centre of
>
> > each Make-a-Wish project, the sick child. I am sure a
>
> > poet-psychologist could wax lyrical on that theme, but
>
> > that's not for me. The ability of the sick child to cut
>
> > through to the heart of every adult is surely universal. But
>
> > Jane Jacobs rated the obligation upon any adult to come to
>
> > the aid of any child on the pavement a key characteristic of
>
> > a healthy city and I agree.
>
> >
>
> > Andy
>
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
>
> > *Andy Blunden*
>
> > http://home.pacific.net.au/~andy/
>
> > On 22/10/2015 1:33 AM, mike cole wrote:
>
> > > larry, Andy
>
> > >
>
> > > Does Horton's advice provide an explanation for the
>
> > > various phenomena on display in that video segment?
>
> > >
>
> > > I am a little lost here.
>
> > > mike
>
> > >
>
> > > On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 11:47 PM, Lplarry
>
> > > <lpscholar2@gmail.com <mailto:lpscholar2@gmail.com>>
> wrote:
>
> > >
>
> > > Andy,
>
> > > The wisdom of Myles Norton.
>
> > > You must go back. Does this mean retreat or withdraw
>
> > > to a simple place? The question of the place being
>
> > > simple also seems relevant.
>
> > > Also the need for a goal. Is the type of goal required
>
> > > an *ethical* goal that is shared?
>
> > > THEN the movement and application will take its *own*
>
> > > form and structure once we have a place.
>
> > > It seems Myles Horton is trusting goals without
>
> > > blueprints that give pre/established answers.
>
> > > TRUSTING the place and the goals to open
>
> > > opportunities of possibility. A simple place
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > > -----Original Message-----
>
> > > From: "Andy Blunden" <ablunden@mira.net
>
> > > <mailto:ablunden@mira.net>>
>
> > > Sent: 2015-10-20 2:18 AM
>
> > > To: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity"
>
> > > <xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu
> <mailto:xmca-l@mailman.ucsd.edu>>
>
> > > Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: Interesting to think about: the
>
> > > social springs of giving
>
> > >
>
> > > I watched the story.
>
> > > I already knew about Make-a-Wish so it was no
>
> > > surprise, but
>
> > > Mike's point was of course the way MaW became a
>
> > > vehicle for
>
> > > a fantastic wave of building social fabric.
>
> > > XMCAers are all going to be interested in any idea
>
> > > which can
>
> > > lead to building this kind of *trust* in a community.
>
> > > Trust
>
> > > is basically what "social capital" is, but the point
>
> > > is only
>
> > > how does one go about *building* that trust?
> Robert Putnam
>
> > > says almost any doing-something-together will have
> this
>
> > > effect, and took choir groups as his typical example.
>
> > > Personally, I think MaW would do better than choir
> groups,
>
> > > but that's not the point. Putnam's own data in his
>
> > > original
>
> > > study in Italy actually showed that the best
> predictor of
>
> > > social capital was having a PCI local government,
>
> > > which was
>
> > > inconvenient for Putnam's theory, so he just
> excluded this
>
> > > from his results.
>
> > > The story this week in Australia has been about
> Tamworth,
>
> > > famous for an annual Country Music festival, but
>
> > > otherwise a
>
> > > typical remote outback town. It is now building a
>
> > > Pharmaceutical plant. How did this huge change
> happen? A
>
> > > young boy had bowel cancer and his mother, a good
>
> > > member of
>
> > > the Country Women's Association, discovered that
> cannabis
>
> > > was the only medication which relieved the pain
> and nausea
>
> > > the boy was suffering. She took up the cause. While
>
> > > illegally acquiring cannabis she started lobbying
>
> > > government
>
> > > to legalise medical cannabis and she won, though
> the whole
>
> > > business will take a year or so to implement. And
> Tamworth
>
> > > will be all set to market it. She has gathered a huge
>
> > > social
>
> > > movement and local support radiating out from
> Tamworth.
>
> > > My point. Make-a-Wish worked for North East Arkansas,
>
> > > partly
>
> > > because of one child who lived to champion it.
> Cannabis
>
> > > legalisation and production worked for Tamworth.
>
> > > As Myles Horton said:
>
> > >
>
> > > What you must do is go back, get a simple
> place,
>
> > > move in and you are there. The situation
> is there.
>
> > > You start with this and let it grow. You
> know your
>
> > > goal. It will build its own structure and
> take its
>
> > > own form.
>
> > >
>
> > > Andy
>
> > >
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>
> > > *Andy Blunden*
>
> > > http://home.pacific.net.au/~andy/
>
> > > <http://home.pacific.net.au/%7Eandy/>
>
> > > On 20/10/2015 4:00 AM, mike cole wrote:
>
> > > > What did you make of the CBS segment, Jay? Does it
>
> > > provide useful example
>
> > > > of principle of community's in Turner?
>
> > > > Mike
>
> > > > Mike
>
> > > >
>
> > > > On Monday, October 19, 2015, Jay Lemke
>
> > > <lemke.jay@gmail.com <mailto:lemke.jay@gmail.com>>
> wrote:
>
> > > >
>
> > > >> For an interesting approach to "community", I'd
>
> > > recommend Edith Turner's
>
> > > >> "Communitas". Ethnographic deepening of late Victor
>
> > > Turner's concept.
>
> > > >>
>
> > > >> JAY.
>
> > > >>
>
> > > >>
>
> > > >> Jay Lemke
>
> > > >> LCHC/Department of Communication
>
> > > >> University of California - San Diego
>
> > > >> www.jaylemke.com <http://www.jaylemke.com>
>
> > > >>
>
> > > >>
>
> > > >> On Sun, Oct 18, 2015 at 8:58 PM, Andy Blunden
>
> > > <ablunden@mira.net <mailto:ablunden@mira.net>
>
> > > >> <javascript:;>> wrote:
>
> > > >>
>
> > > >>> Yes, indeed I am interested, Mike.
>
> > > >>> Critiquing the concept of "social capital" and
>
> > > developing an alternative
>
> > > >>> concept of "social solidarity" and searching for a
>
> > > suitable unit of
>
> > > >>> analysis was how I got started down the track I
>
> > > have been on ever since
>
> > > >>> then, about 2003. What is the difference between
>
> > > community as in all
>
> > > >> people
>
> > > >>> living in such and such town, and "real"
>
> > > community? Robert Putnam had
>
> > > >>> assembled evidence that almost any collective
>
> > > activity fosters what he
>
> > > >>> called "social capital." The problem was that he
>
> > > couldn't distinguish
>
> > > >>> between the mafia taking root in a community and a
>
> > > community taking
>
> > > >> control
>
> > > >>> of crime on its streets, etc. His classic
>
> > > "example" activity was the
>
> > > >>> formation of choir groups, proven promoters of
>
> > > collective "wealth".
>
> > > >>>
>
> > > >>> Andy
>
> > > >>>
>
> > >
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>
> > > >>> *Andy Blunden*
>
> > > >>> http://home.pacific.net.au/~andy/
>
> > > <http://home.pacific.net.au/%7Eandy/>
>
> > > >>>
>
> > > >>> On 19/10/2015 2:07 PM, mike cole wrote:
>
> > > >>>
>
> > > >>>> I found a segment of the American weekly TV
>
> > > program, 60 minutes, more
>
> > > >> than
>
> > > >>>> usually interesting this evening, and one segment
>
> > > in particular
>
> > > >>>> seemed to have a lot of relevance to many
>
> > > different interests of people
>
> > > >> on
>
> > > >>>> xmca. The topic was the the activities of the
>
> > > "Make a Wish Foundation."
>
> > > >>>>
>
> > > >>>> Of the very many issues that the program
>
> > > discusses, one which I found
>
> > > >>>> particularly interesting was the ability of the
>
> > > organized practice of
>
> > > >>>> communities
>
> > > >>>> raising money to give seriously ill children "a
>
> > > last wish" is one that
>
> > > >> has
>
> > > >>>> particular relevance to questions about the
>
> > > mechanisms of social
>
> > > >>>> solidarity. In small towns in northern Arkansas,
>
> > > a relatively poor and
>
> > > >> out
>
> > > >>>> of the part of the US, people raise amazing
>
> > > amounts of money to provide
>
> > > >>>> special experience for kids who are dying of some
>
> > > disease that has not
>
> > > >>>> known current cure. What particularly caught my
>
> > > attention especially is
>
> > > >>>> the
>
> > > >>>> powerful effect that participation in the money
>
> > > raising and the
>
> > > >> ingenious
>
> > > >>>> social organization of the activities, has on
>
> > > community members across
>
> > > >>>> several generations, from peers to grandparents.
>
> > > In one sense, it seems
>
> > > >>>> that everything is so focuses on the individual
>
> > > kid that it is "just a
>
> > > >>>> manifestation of late capitalist individualism."
>
> > > If effects on the kids
>
> > > >> is
>
> > > >>>> interesting, but it is the reflected effect on
>
> > > the community pretty
>
> > > >>>> generally, and the emergence of strong personal
>
> > > bonds in particular that
>
> > > >>>> caught me most.
>
> > > >>>>
>
> > > >>>> Andy might find this interesting as an example of
>
> > > a project.
>
> > > >>>>
>
> > > >>>> mike
>
> > > >>>>
>
> > > >>>> http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/topics/60-minutes/
>
> > > click on make a
>
> > > >>>> wish
>
> > > >>>>
>
> > > >>>>
>
> > > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > > --
>
> > >
>
> > > It is the dilemma of psychology to deal as a natural
>
> > > science with an
>
> > > object that creates history. Ernst Boesch
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> >
>
> >
>
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