> Mike,
>
> 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
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------------------------------------------------------
>
>
---------------------------------
Vera P. John-Steiner
Department of Linguistics
Humanities Bldg. 526
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
(505) 277-6353 or 277-4324
Internet: vygotsky who-is-at triton.unm.edu
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