Power And Control In Society has been a longish Chapter and not everyone will agree with its contents.
However my hope in including it is that you will consider that the things we give out about have a historical and societal context, and that while we might not be able to change the global we can do an awful lot about the local if we have the confidence to be tenacious in our pursuit of real democracy.
In stating this, I believe that it is the prioritisation of genuine love, warmth, trust, deep thinking, honesty, confidence and an appreciation of our responsibilities, that will ultimately reduce the effects of corporate values in social care work, child protection, community work, family support work, social work, and within the helping professions in general.
And in challenging the type of thinking that prevails, we need firstly to believe that being idealistic is realistic, secondly develop the confidence to hold myths masquerading as facts – promoted by people who have a completely different agenda to a community worker – up to scrutiny, and thirdly (and most importantly) ensure that we are inclusive and compassionate.
I will digress here to discuss idealism. It is surely proof of the power of corporate closed-ness that idealism is generally thought to involve actions that are unrealistic or unattainable. (That’s all right in theory – but…….).
Allied to that, I think that it’s important to distinguish between idealism and ideology. Idealism is about having a vision, striving to do a little better every time, being hopeful and optimistic, accepting imperfection and difference, viewing knock-backs as things that teach us something, i.e. learning as we go, and, more than anything else enjoying the journey. Ideology on the other hand conjures up intolerance, fundamentalism and a lot more isms besides, that usually have been very harmful to the world.
Getting back to corporate values, on the surface, the vast majority of us appear to be easy fodder for corporate closed-ness. Humans are the ultimate contradiction in that we imagine, because we are able to think, that we can change our lives for the better. But is there evidence to show that we actually do it?
And when I say for the better I mean physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally healthy, not burdened by debt, access to affordable and adequate housing/shelter and good enough health-care in a society that is relatively equal, fair and democratic.
Not at all dreamland – just what we’d all hope for ourselves and our children!
But, (from the better-to-light-a-candle department) we can choose to live our own lives in a way that minimises the effects of corporate closed-ness; and perhaps even influence those close to us. (In the Chapter on Systems Theory we will gain an appreciation of how important the local is in respect of the global).
Perhaps this is part of our evolution in respect of our intelligence.
One of the first things that I noticed when doing street-work with very vulnerable young people and their families was that the modalities (that is, the approaches to healing) that truly empower people seem to be unavailable to those that, arguably, need them most.
I sometimes think that the apparent reluctance among decision makers within the Pillars to promote such modalities is linked (perhaps unconsciously) to the fear that we will start to think for ourselves – and challenge the prevailing order not only of helping, but eventually of the structures of society in general.
I also believe that the vast majority of decision makers are totally unaware of this link, and would be quite resistant to thinking that their well-meaning efforts should be so described.
But the fear is buried in our collective unconscious and – quoting the Bible (I think) by our actions we are known, not our words – it manifests in our decision making.
So to conclude, and in respect of all the above, I would like to pose a few questions:
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Suppose that we become empowered, and emotionally well, and we see through the benefits of our affluent society, get off the treadmill of neurotic consumerism, fashion, status, self-indulgence and instant gratification ………….. Who will gain and who will lose?
Suppose we look for solutions to our unhappiness, isolation and distress in warmth, compassion, love, relationship, acceptance of difference, generosity, trust, and a genuine social contract rather than big pharma or the opinions of experts ……… Who will gain and who will lose?
Suppose we consider ourselves to be a vital (and here I interpret the word vital as alive) pro-active part of a larger system rather than an idling cog in a machine constructed by others? …….. Who will gain and who will lose?
And suppose we use our life’s energy for the betterment of our family, our community and society, and ourselves, resisting the interests that benefit economic or corporate forces …… Who will gain and who will lose?