WORKSHOP SERIES #5/7
Perin Ruttonsha
This series of 45-minute workshops examines the balancing act that is implicit in global sustainability transition, organised around the following seven themes: (1) order in chaos; (2) reductionism reconciled; (3) parallel worlds; (4) power and vulnerability; (5) shadows and archetypes; (6) relational well-being; and, (7) fierce and quiet kinds of love.
Modernisation represented a process of sociocultural advancement, which took place in conjunction with that of substantial social marginalisation. Colonisation is, in effect, the dark side of what could otherwise be presented as a period of considerable flourishing. Anthropologist Susan Paulson has characterised processes of social marginalisation as those of othering, whereby inequality and conflict might be rooted in a sense of difference. Underscored by reductionism, the modernist mindset has employed divergence as leverage for critique, competition, domination, and control over others, as opposed to a strategy for holistic collaboration, in which we capitalise on the qualities, skills, and assets of diverse groups. This aligns with the thinking of psychiatrist Carl Jung, along with social innovation and Indigenous scholars, who encourage us to engage with our shadow, or nemesis, as a means by which to attain wholeness. Shadows and nemeses represent aspects of ourselves, or societies, that have been hidden, repressed, or modified, and without accepting them, can generate imbalances in social behaviour. Importantly, the concept of shadows and nemeses can be addressed by acknowledging the other in oneself, but also indirectly—not as oppressed versus oppressor, rather as broad, underlying tensions, barriers, and divisions. Finally, Jung also introduced a series of twelve archetypes that he considered to reside within the collective unconscious, and which can be examined to understand the nature of human motivations and engagements. Incidentally, these are comparable to IDEO’s ten innovation personas, which speak more directly to one’s leadership style. In this workshop, we will discuss how these unique aspects of our collective social psychology might influence behavioural change for regenerative sustainability.