Section Three is entitled A Bit Of Theory.
I have come to regard the work that is the subject of this website as very complex when I view it from one perspective, but very simple when I view it from another. This is a bit of a paradox so Section Three describes some theories that I believe are important and relevant in the world of helping people in distress. The Chapter aims to offer a deeper appreciation of this simple/complex paradox.
The first is the theory of Cause, Effect and Nurture, that is the relationship between how we behave and the impact that our behaviour has on ourselves and our environment. As our principal topic is child protection, Chapter One finishes with a description of how nurture is the dominant cause of a child growing to maturity, i.e. the effect.
This is followed by a Chapter that posits the importance of Systems Theory. That is, how virtually everything in the world affects everything else – what is in close proximity, obviously, having more influence than what is distant. This Chapter also describes how helpful the applications (and the implications) of systems theory are in our work.
I push out the boat a bit in the next Chapter when I describe Universal Theories of Change that can be applied in family support work so that people are truly included and their natural talents are allowed to flourish and grow – with minimum interference from external experts!
I said in the first post in this Sub-Chapter that I’d mention anything that I consider to be new or original. I believe that the Chapter on the Universal Theories of Change, and in particular my description of the Root Foundations is a new concept in the overall landscape of helping people in deep distress.
The following Chapter – Trauma and Related Topics – is a bit technical in terms of description, but I consider it to be very important. Any individual or organisation that aspires to work in child protection needs to get a handle on, and have familiarity with these topics. Alleviation of trauma (or what would nowadays be labelled as trauma but might have been called something else in times gone by) has been a goal of people as long as humans have walked the earth.
Every generation has tried to come up with different ways of easing suffering in their fellow humans. The different ways are called modalities and after the Chapter on Trauma I describe Modalities of Helping that I believe have the best chance of working in our chosen field.
While there is a plethora of information available on many different Modalities of Helping from countless sources I believe that some of the ideas in this Chapter are new. In particular my exploration of complex variables and the firm grip that technology has on our thinking, our problem solving in general, and how this has influenced the way we go about helping people.
I finish the Section with a Chapter that I have entitled, (as a patriotic Irishman), The Family Support Shamrock. And I think that most of the material in this Chapter is also new!
It is the intention that the theories ensure that the Sections that follow make sense – so even though they are a little long they are central. They will set the tone for the Concepts And Propositions in Section Four, the Practical Applications in Section Five, and even the wrap up in Section Six, the Epilogue.