You ask whether there might be examples of enhanced human (consciousness) development across “education, culture, institutional innovation, spiritual awakening”.

That’s a huge question (and a lot of ‘sharpening the case’ is needed!), but here are my quick thoughts. The recent RSA report ‘Beyond the Big Society – psychological foundations of active citizenship’ did point to a number of pertinent examples of such development, in its final section. (More about the report/link is here: http://bit.ly/wwfTBH ).

In education, we mentioned recent research on a US HE curriculum which had had strong success in enabling self-authoring (and active citizenship) in students, compared to a control group. As well as an Australian 10-week course that had had a similarly positive impact, compared to a control group. (Also mentioned were Jake Chapman FRSA’s promising findings on transformations of top public sector leaders’ ‘ways of knowing’, at the National School of Government).

Culture-wise, a large developmental effort was made in the Dutch Antilles some decades ago – with extensive training across the workforce there, 5,000 developmental assessments etc. It appears to have been broadly successful.

(Lawrence Harrison’s work outlined in his book ‘The Central Liberal Truth’ is an important look at culture change efforts around the world. The culture change centre at his US university is doing pioneering work worldwide.)

Institutional innovation. Not sure of the best quick examples off the top of my head (though modern workplaces often tend in themselves to encourage a shift from socialised/conformist ‘ways of knowing’ towards more self-authoring ones). The developmental stage of the leader seems crucial here, whatever the particular innovation may be.

I tend to go along with the view that organisational (and personal) transformation that could lead to responsive and open ‘Enterprise 2.0′ organisations or ‘Networked Nonprofits’ requires the kind of deep, long-term (difficult!) changes that the pioneer of Organisational Development Chris Argyris describes. Most organisations aren’t really up to this. (This was the conclusion of Andrew McAfee’s book ‘Enterprise 2.0′ – I blogged about some of these issues before I started working at the RSA: http://bit.ly/bJraEV )

Perhaps the widespread use of Kegan’s ‘Immunity to Change’ exercise, and approach, enables organisations to develop?

A minor point re Kegan – I find his more recent book ‘In Over Our Heads’ particularly relevant to all these questions, more so than his The Evolving Self. And the first chapter of his recent book ‘Immunity to Change’ is well worth reading, as it surveys the role of adult development/growth in organisational change.

Other things that seem worth noting: a later – more complex – stage of cognitive complexity isn’t necessarily ‘better’, nor does research find such people to be ‘happier’! If only things were that simple…

Matthew

PS And what to say about ‘spiritual awakening’! (As one who isn’t awakened!). My feeling is that the most expansive and authentic empathy and autonomy may in fact fully emerge (only?) from what we currently label as ‘spiritual awakening’. (Confusingly though, many people who are making the shift from socialised/conformist thinking to a more self-authoring ‘inner compass’ use the word ‘spiritual’ to describe how this shift feels to them. Though they use the label ‘spiritual’, I don’t think this actually means they are all turning into the Dalai Lama…!)

PPS The current normalisation of Buddhist meditation as ‘Mindfulness’ practice may be playing a very positive role at the moment too, perhaps…?

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Matthew Kalman Mezey
Senior Networks Manager – Online & International

RSA
Tel 020 7451 6825

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The ‘good desk’/'bad desk’ dichotomy identified above seems to relate to the paradox behind the public utility model of a bank and short selling casino hedge-funding.

http://publicbanking.wordpress.com/

Yes you do. The mortgage crisis and subsequent banking is both more complex and simpler than the media presents. When added to corporate scandals such as WorldCom and Enron, It asks a lot of questions about the nature of Anglo-Saxon capitalism in the last twenty years.The reality is far worse than most people think, and solutions less clear.

There is a feast here for the Left if they want it. But instead, the Left seem to be taking a position of Militant Social Democracy; the system is basically okay, the problem is that Evil People ripped off the Good People. The Good People now need to punish the Evil People, and then we will be square, and justice restored. It is pitchfork politics, and it won’t end well.

Would be interested in your views once you’ve read it.

However as Robert points out, he is likely comfortable where he is.

A niggling question on the legacy that such as Fred bequeaths … are those that receive it comfortable with it i.e. such is their bubble cuture only the bubble does not burst as it reseals itself.

His economic independence and the value system of the social group he moves in renders any ‘disgrace’ a non event.

There will be no effective reform of the ‘system’ that produced him.

As a society we have a very poor record in the late 20th/early 21st century when it comes to addressing and correcting (in a positive sense) the social environmental factors that drive individual delinquency.

This is true of muggers, vandals, drug dealers/users, Bankers, Stock Brokers and Chief Executives.