"empowerment" is a disempowering concept

[WB-TrainConsult]

On Mon, 13 May 2002 09:15:06 +0200, Koos de Heer wrote:
"a truely free being does not exist. We are always
"influenced by external factors. It is how we perceive that influence
"that determines whether it makes us unhappy or not.

Dear Koos,

what you wrote there reminds me of an old development-phasis-model
widely used in group dynamics laboratories which started to spread in
Europe around the time, Koestler developed his model:

1) Dependency: you accept the 'givens' (given by an authority) as
beeing unchangeable. Or: you do, what you are told to do
And: You do not want to be free, but to be secure
You perceive your envirenment in its quality of being WARM and
FRIENDLY


2) Counterdependency: analyzing your situation you perceive, that you
do not want do accept any 'givens' of the authority, believing, that
beeing free means not to depend from anybody. Or: you do, what you
are told, NOT to do.
And: you want to be free and are ready to pay whatever price it costs
you.
So, you are also dependent, but inversely to the first phasis of
development
You perceive your envirenment in its quality of being RIGID an
HOSTILE

3) Interdependency: You perceive, that there is always somebody or
something influencing you, BUT you also perceive, that

a) you are able to influence the others (your situation)
b) you are still free to act on basis of informed choice (that goes
along the line, you argued in your post. i.e. you perceive that you
never can get rid of the fact that there are givens).
Or: you neither always do, what you are told to do, nor do you always
do, what you are told NOT to do, but decide on basis of a clear
perception of the complex system of influence, what you think, is the
Best (or less Bad). This brings a completely different definition of
being free, than you had being in the counterdependency phasis.
You perceive your self and your environment in the qualities of being
WARM & COLD & PLASTIC

1 is the background of false peace (dominance & submission)
2 is the background of revolts and wars
3 is the background for creativity, mediation and true peace
processes

Now, this model of group dynamics says something I really hated (2),
when I was young (1,2):
It is a given (that can not be changed), that you start with 1 and
It is a given, that you can not reach 3 without passing by 2.

For me this model has some key-qualities for this ongoing
discussion-thread of the oslist, (and even some other actual and old
threads). I would be interested to know, if it seems also useful for
you or others in the list.

Bernhard


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wb-trainconsult at gmx.net 13.05.2002 at 14:30:16 (GMT/UT + 02:00)
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----
Bernd Weber
Organization Development Consultant

"DEVELOP YOUR CAPACITIES - MATERIALIZE YOUR VISION"


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