"There is nothing more practical than a good theory.”
Kurt Lewin
Kurt Lewin
Change is the process of going from what is to whatever comes next. Positive change is more directional -- the process of going from what is to what’s better.
Social change is about transforming energy that gets trapped within unproductive systems -- a stand-off between those “restraining forces” that maintain the status quo and those “driving forces” that challenge it -- and channeling it through cause and effect pathways that link intentions with results.
To release trapped energy there needs to be a catalyst -- a lever that can release just the right amount of force at just the right time along just the right channels. To make this abstraction tangible, check out these stories:
While an unproductive system may appear to be stable and immovable, it can actually sit invisibly at the cusp of change, and when change occurs, it can be rapid and extensive. Thus, the most effective changemakers pay as much, if not more attention to the the dynamics of the status quo as to the driving forces for change.
Social change is about transforming energy that gets trapped within unproductive systems -- a stand-off between those “restraining forces” that maintain the status quo and those “driving forces” that challenge it -- and channeling it through cause and effect pathways that link intentions with results.
To release trapped energy there needs to be a catalyst -- a lever that can release just the right amount of force at just the right time along just the right channels. To make this abstraction tangible, check out these stories:
- The psychologist, Carol Dweck, applies a direct lever aimed at the inner and social dynamics of individual students through introducing them to a simple metaphor that the mind is a muscle that can improve itself through practice.and repetition.
- A group of student peers can serve as a lever in turning negative peer pressure into a positive force to reduce bullying.
- Even a social situation such as a school playground at recess can be a lever. Turn a chaotic and stressful playground into joyful and well-ordered playfulness and you can transform a school culture.
While an unproductive system may appear to be stable and immovable, it can actually sit invisibly at the cusp of change, and when change occurs, it can be rapid and extensive. Thus, the most effective changemakers pay as much, if not more attention to the the dynamics of the status quo as to the driving forces for change.