Embracing Social Change: Catalysts, Conflict, and Community

1. First and Second Order Change • First Order Change • Essentially more of the same, superficial • System is relatively unchanged • Second Order Change • Recognizes the usual resolutions are part of the problem • The system itself is changed • Requires a redefinition or reconceptualization of the existing interventions and programs

2. Social Change • Social change is second order change - • It restructures the basic ways in which people in a society relate to each other with regard to family economics, government, education, religion, life, recreation, language and other basic human interaction activities. • Social change requires new ways of thinking and interacting, and challenges our predilection to solve problems with the same old rules and steps. • Social change is not changes in demographics or planned efforts to increase oppression.

3. Factors Promoting Social Change • Creative thinking and challenges to • assumptive worlds • Mindscapes that favor social equality • Willingness to undergo disruptive change • Investment in changing reward structures • Conscientization • Common cause with others • Strong value base

4. Conflict vs. Cooperation • Community organizing seen as conflict-based • Power-based • Coalition building seen as cooperation-based • Relationship based • Bring diverse groups together to create change • Can be contentious • Builds a sense of common cause

5. Community Organizing

6. Coalition Building

7. Coalition Building Favored • Change agents have a growing awareness that community problems are interrelated and so require holistic, community-wide solutions • It is increasingly difficult to clearly identify enemies in our technological and transnational society • “Our survival depends on creating common cause” –Bernice Johnson Reagon

8. Alternative Settings “Any instance in which two or more people come together in new relationships over a sustained period of time in order to achieve certain goals.” Sarason (1972) • Characteristics - • Radical, proposing new/untried ways of addressing social problems • Radical: structure, goals, ideologies • Alternative not synonymous with progressive • Creation - • Shaped long before inception • Form out of dissatisfaction with existing settings and optimism about having a positive effect • Departure of founding members • Many do not survive the first year

9. Alternative Settings • Healthcare • CVS • In-home • In schools • Education • Charter schools • Learning Centers • Metropolitan Learning Alliance • Communities • Celebration, FL

10. Alternative Setting Challenges • How to become established while remaining radical • Seeking funding may jeopardize the goals/mission • Collaboration with other agencies correlates with legitimacy and longevity • Organization structure for sustainability • Remain flexible, true to the mission • Clear goals • Meaningful identity • Participatory decision making • Oppose the status quo • View setting as transitory • Establish opportunities for reflection and criticism