Worldwide, there tend to be stark divisions between groups and systems with different social, political, and economic interests that represent values, ways of living and worldviews that increasingly appear to be in opposition and conflict with each other.
Group and system differences in how we see the world and how we think we should show up in it, usher in fundamental questions about our individual and collective sense of what is real or not real, right or wrong, moral or immoral, true or untrue, and as a result, generate stress and anxiety as well as sometimes curiosity, opportunity and potential for learning and growth.
Depending on what group(s) we belong to, these dynamics can lead some groups’ members to believe that their side has ‘won’ and therefore, their sense of reality is validated, vindicated, and righteous. Likewise, others may feel that their group(s) have ‘lost,’ leading to experiences of disillusionment, vulnerability, confusion, resignation, incompetence, and powerlessness.
Those on the ‘losing’ side might find themselves questioning how their version of things has been so easily cast aside and ignored. In the context of these intergroup and systemic differences and conflicts, we may question, how are ‘facts’ or previously consensually agreed on ideas, recast to suggest a different version of reality? Do we now live in a ‘post-truth’ reality where the only thing that matters is a group’s power to assert its perception of reality and will over another group? Is morality a relevant concept in a world where misinformation and obfuscation exist or ultimately, is what really matters that the ends justify the means?
The concepts of authority, leadership, and power are ubiquitous aspects of group and system dynamics. All groups and systems authorize their leaders to act in ways that mobilize the group’s resources to meet its goals and needs. This includes intergroup conflicts where leaders and groups mobilize their resources to assert their power over other groups.
While these group phenomena occur on conscious levels, group dynamics theories posit that powerful dynamics concurrently occur unconsciously as groups work in both rational and irrational ways to meet their belonging, survival, and security needs.
In this group relations conference, we invite you to explore how authority, leadership, power, and reality unfold in the here-and-now setting of our experiential learning environment.
For instance, as our temporary learning organization develops, we may wonder about how members are mobilized to choose and authorize leaders. We might be curious about how people use different leadership styles (e.g. autocratic, inclusive, democratic, etc.) to meet different system needs. We can explore various power dynamics, including who has power, how it is wielded and toward what ends. We might ask how do the dynamics we create and enact reflect this system’s values and concept of reality?
Subsequently, this exploration may also lend us some insights about what is occurring in our larger world.
Jonathan Rust
Conference Director
Brochure
Location
Teachers College, Columbia University
525 West 120th Street
New York, New York, 10027
More information
Please check information on who can attend, timings and learn how to register in the brochure.
If you have questions, please email the conference administrative team at: teacherscollegeGRC@gmail.com
