I think the work of K. Lewin on the conditions necessary for creation of
democratic groups would be extremely helpful to reprint. There are other
researchers in this area, but they all really take off form Lewin's seminal
work.
As for the work being done today in the countries of former Yugoslavia, I
would have to do some investigation to be sure what would be the best. I
know that people (psychologists, educators, social workers) have done
practical work - in helping individuals and communities cope with the
tragedies that occured in their lives. I know of some work done in creating
CHAT based techniques (actually based in Vygotsky's theorical concepts) for
conflict resolution between groups (with children).
What I know is also that psychologists, sociologists and other professionals
have been personally affected and that their lives, philosophies and
theoretical beliefs have in many instances changed because of the war. Not
always toward the more democratic and more (scientifically) objective ends.
Sometimes even helping people overcome their personal tragedies did not have
to mean developing more tolerant values, but on the contrary - letting them
affirm their newly developed hatreds.
An analysis of a cultural historical event is a very complex issue even when
an event is local and non-tragical. An analysis of a war as a socio-cultural
historical event from the socio-psychological point of view is a a lot more
complex and practically difficult. Such an analysis would be invaluable,
though, because it might point out to ways of preventing a social tragedy.
Here is an example of a radical social (cultural-historical) change that is
extremely relevant for CHAT: theoretically, methodologically and practically
(and politically, of course). You can almost watch how the fabric of the
society was being systematically destroyed. Through the study of public
media, you can follow systematic creation of different perspectives, you can
graphically describe how the media paint the picture of reality in these or
other colors, how they manufacture political consensus in target groups. The
tasks of a social researcher I think is to establish a correct and
exhaustive set of data upon which to start interpreting. The barriers are
the same ones which are imposed on anyone else: can we know what are the
relevant data? Can we GET the relevant data? (without ourselves being killed
as some investigative journalists in the former YU were: two of them [out
of some 40 or so], for instance, were killed while pursuing leads on the
involvement of some foreign neoNazi and Patriot militia groups as
mercenaries in this war!!!)
And one more thing, assuming that we can overcome all the practical and
methodological hurdles in studying formation of extreme value systems and
beliefs, I would also like to see some discussion and projects dealing with
resolutions: how do you deactivate potential social bombs before they explode?
(I am sorry, but once you touch my "YU-key" I can just go on and on and on...)
Ana
_________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Ana Marjanovic-Shane
151 W. Tulpehocken St. Office of Mental Health and
Philadelphia, PA 19144 Mental Retardation
(215) 843-2909 [voice] 1101 Market St. 7th Floor
(215) 843-2288 [fax] Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 685-4767 [v]
(215) 685-5581 [fax]
E-mail: pshane who-is-at andromeda.rutgers.edu
http://www.geocities.com./Athens/2253/index.html
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