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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>And just to churn the pot a bit.... open some space??? An off thought which has pestered me recently. Goes like this. “Structure is only a figment of our imagination. It is our “take” of reality, a flash frame of the passing scene. In our minds it looks solid, even unchanging. But actually it is just a momentary view of the ongoing flow.” Or something.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Harrison<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext'> OSList [mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Daniel Mezick via OSList<br><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, October 03, 2015 9:26 AM<br><b>To:</b> oslist@lists.openspacetech.org<br><b>Subject:</b> [OSList] The Tyranny of Structurelessness<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>THE TYRANNY of STRUCTURELESSNESS<br>by Jo Freeman aka Joreen<br><br>I find this essay extremely interesting. I hope you do, too. <br><br><br><br>Here is a pertinent quote, from the essay:<br>"...<i><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>the idea of "structurelessness" does not prevent the formation of informal structures, only formal ones."<br><br></span></i><br>Circa 1970. Context: the women's movement. Quick summary of the main points: from the essay...<o:p></o:p></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo1'><i><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>During the years in which the women's liberation movement has been taking shape, a great emphasis has been placed on what are called leaderless, structureless groups as the main -- if not sole -- organizational form of the movement. </span></i><o:p></o:p></li></ul><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo2'><i><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>The idea of "structurelessness," however, has moved from a healthy counter to those tendencies, to becoming a goddess in its own right.</span></i><o:p></o:p></li></ul><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><i><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Contrary to what we would like to believe, there is no such thing as a structureless group. </span></i><o:p></o:p></li></ul><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo4'><i><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>This means that to strive for a structureless group is as useful, and as deceptive, as to aim at an "objective" news story, "value-free" social science, or a "free" economy. A "laissez faire" group is about as realistic as a "laissez faire" society; the idea becomes a smokescreen for the strong or the lucky to establish unquestioned hegemony over others. </span></i><o:p></o:p></li></ul><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo5'><i><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>This hegemony can be so easily established because the idea of "structurelessness" does not prevent the formation of informal structures, only formal ones. </span></i><o:p></o:p></li></ul><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo6'><i><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>For everyone to have the opportunity to be involved in a given group and to participate in its activities, the structure must be explicit, not implicit. </span></i><o:p></o:p></li></ul><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo7'><i><span style='font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>It is this informal structure, particularly in Unstructured groups, which forms the basis for elites.</span></i><o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal><br><br>Just in case you have not yet encountered the full text of this essay, here it is: <br><br>THE TYRANNY of STRUCTURELESSNESS<br>by Jo Freeman aka Joreen<br><a href="http://www.jofreeman.com/joreen/tyranny.htm">http://www.jofreeman.com/joreen/tyranny.htm</a><br><br><br><br>Regards,<br>Daniel <br><a href="http://www.OpenSpaceAgility.com/about">http://www.OpenSpaceAgility.com/about</a><br><a href="http://www.DanielMezick.com">http://www.DanielMezick.com</a><br>203 915 7248<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>