[Ailist] I need a new word

[Don Austin]

Hello Mike and All,

> From: Mike Sands [mailto:msands at dccnet.com]
> Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 11:49 AM
> To: sfuc-chat at yahoogroups.com; Barbara Davenport; Carol Iwamoto; Cheri
> Torres; Jan Molina; Bob Worth
> Subject: I need an new word
> 
> I need a word to describe a field of study - I think we will have to
invent
> a new word as I don't think it exists yet.  The word might become the name
> of a new social science.
> 
> A working definition of the word will be something like "the study of how
> people elicit feelings of  confidence, capability and happiness in a
> conversation partner".

Carl Rogers researched the work of therapists that held very different
beliefs and approaches. He wanted to find out what they might have in
common, among all of their therapy SUCCESSES. He discovered only one thing
that they had in common in their interaction with their clients (in spite of
their divergent theories and practices). ALL of their successes involved
excellent attention paid by the therapist to the client, and the therapist
interacting with them, AND in such a way that the clients concretely
experienced this presence of this attention.  Carl Rogers chose to call this
"unconditional positive regard."

My work centers around "affirmative interaction," which I have often
mentioned on this list.  A working definition of affirmative interaction is
that it focuses our attention, now, on the most relevant, pivotal, and
valuable aspects of who we are, and who we wish to be, in relationship and
in groups.  

The eight themes of affirmative interaction comprise one way of examining
the kind of conversation that creates feelings and action based in
confidence, capability and effectiveness (which often create happiness).