[Ailist] How does it work?

[Lionel Boxer]

My school had a problem with Bob Proctor when he presented to us in 1974
 (or 1975).  When I met him in Melbourne in 1990 I told him that I
remembered him being at my school and he was very pleased that I
remembered him.  That was his only presentation to high schools and he
told me why.

High school teachers tend to be "good civil servants" and worse still -
behaviouralists.

Social constructionalists understand AI because that is what it is based
on.  Hence, you are likely a social constructionalist.

Discursive psychology as opposed to behaviouralist psychology.  Most
behaviouralists deny they are behaviouralists in the same way that
alcoholics/gamlbers deny that they are alcoholics/gamblers.  Read some
recent Prof Rom Harre stuff - some of his recent papers discuss this. 
His book Positioning Theory and The Self and Others provide some good
ideas too.

It is not so much as ignoring the bad.  Rather, it is about framing
things in an appreciative way.  In all situations there can be a
continuum with good and bad at either end - frame your discussion in a
way that talks about moving towards the good side.  You do not have to
refer to the bad.  It is not about consciously ignoring the bad.

The important thing to understand is that we create our social reality
by our discursive action and the discursive action of others.  Keep it
all postiive.

Lionel Boxer CD PhD MBA BTech(IndEng) - 0411267256
Associate of RMIT University - lionel.boxer at rmit.edu.au
Graduate School of Business
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>>> Hank Kearns <hkearns4 at comcast.net> 04/03/08 7:03 AM >>>
I  am a retired health teachers. I have always been looking for  
information to share with my students concerning mental health and  
relationships. Sine I’m a “old as dirt,” I started with Maslow and  
his hierarchy concepts, that lead to Carl Rogers and his excellent  
work on communication skills, followed by Albert Ellis, Timothy Beck  
and Cognitive Psychology, and more recently Positive Psychology lead  
by Seligman and Peterson.   Along the way I stumbled onto  
Appreciative Inquiry. I tried to get my school to utilize AI concepts  
in changing our school, but was not successful . I’ve been a lurker  
to this list and a fan of AI for many years. Recently I have tried to  
use AI in my personal life. I have no problem with the major  
principles of AI, but I have to admit that I’m not convinced about  
ignoring the bad.

Let me give you an example. Let’s say we are working with a school   
that has a real problem with bullying. Can you ignore the physical  
and emotional pain that is being inflicted while you identify the  
positive and encourage it to grow? (I know I’m in trouble asking this  
kind of question, but I am looking for an answer.) :)

Perhaps a less harmful situation. In your marriage your spouse is a  
slob. He or she never puts things away. Besides that your spouse is  
loving, supportive, and responsible at work and with your children.  
They just are not very neat. Carl Rogers would say that you express  
your persist feelings. You would explain that you are embarrassed  
with the way your house looks, and you want him or her to take in  
consideration your feelings and put things away when he or she is  
done with.

I’m showing my ignorance here, but I have a problem with this.

Hank Kearns
- -
www.greydogmac.com

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. Albert Eistein


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