sociatry ideas

[Ivo Banaco]

Right Adam, but feeling that your point 4 misleading. In WSS Moreno finds
the root of Sociatry in WSS in Socius - the other fellow and iatreia -
healing;
All of Moreno's ideas tried to fight the doctor-patient model, and I don't
think that sociatry relate to that at all, although I can see your point.
But I admit this is a matter of taste, like your dislike about tele. For me
Sociatry calls for a higher level of intervention in society, a inter/ trans
disciplinary approach to the socius with a fundamental emphasis to treat it.
Quoting Moreno. "The art and skill of the sociatrist will depend upon a
synthesis of knowledge toward which all social and psychiatric sciences will
have made their contribution." And that doesn't exist yet as such, but we
have all the ingredients...we have to cook them!

Of course we can always question: If that is so what is
the difference between sociatry and politics. It should be none but it is
not the case at this moment. What sociatry could bring to politics is a type
of knowledge (e.g. sociometry, group dynamics, all the invisible structures,
cultural bias, etc,) that seems to escape most of politicians today.

In the future Sociatry could well be the real political action.. why not as
sociatry could not exist as such (if it aims a large scale social
intervention) without politics?

Best,
Ivo


"The term derives from a Latin and Greek root, the one is socius, the “other
fellow”, the other iatreia, healing."

On Sat, Aug 8, 2009 at 3:13 PM, Adam Blatner <ablatner at verizon.net> wrote:

>  Okay, let's see. The world is in trouble in thousands of different ways
> at many levels. What can "sociatry" do? Which methods are useful with groups
> beyond the sick role? (i.e., beyond psychotherapy).
>       1. Starting small: Consider the feminist notion that the personal is
> political and reverse it. In the 1970s the institution of the happy nuclear
> family was questioned. Might it for some be a prison?  Questioning social
> arrangements is one example. Could therapy include social action? Groups
> whose task is to change more than the consciousness of its own members
> generate new types of group dynamics, concerning as how best to accomplish
> its chosen tasks.
>
>      2. Recognize that sociometry and psychodramatic methods constitute at
> most only 23.2% of the many different kinds of skills and knowledge involved
> in social action. Things like composing an effective letter, lobbying, etc.
> --- there are hundreds or thousands of such components that transcend any
> particular discipline--- including the skill bases of rhetoric, advertising,
> spin-doctoring, propaganda, all the elements of politics, lobbying,
> newsletter editing, community organizing, etc. etc.
>
>      3. In a larger sense, much of politics throughout history (including
> some military efforts) have been rationalized as promoting what was for the
> time viewed as an improvement on the previous system. For example,
> feudalism, as prone to tyrrany as at was, was nevertheless believed to be an
> improvement of some degree of order and predictability, better than what had
> been happening in the earlier "dark ages" in which people felt far
> too vulnerable to robbers, invaders, and pure barbarism.  In other words:
>
>    4. The problem with sociatry is the problem with fascism: The
> doctor-patient model of the 1940s (relating to the -iatros Greek root
> meaning physician) involved a wise knower-how-to-diagnose and treat and a
> submissive patient. This does not apply well to large social groupings. It
> is not at all clear that anyone knows how to fix it all and can garner
> adequate consensus for "I'll just tell you what to do and then you take this
> medicine and follow my 'orders.' type of management.
>          I'm just noting that the word may be misleading. The spirit Moreno
> advocated is something I share: Let's apply what we're learning in
> psychology, sociology, and every other field to efforts in every
> institution---political, educational, economic, clubs, recreation, medicine,
> etc. I saw his idea as an interdisciplinary vision during an era in which
> fields were more compartmentalized. Ed's advocacy of social action has
> merit, but awaiting specifics, I'm not sure that our field has more to offer
> than other fields. It certainly has some to offer, though!
>
>    5. I'm continuing to do adult education classes and weaving in
> principles from role theory, the idea of externalization and personification
> of defenses (i.e., imagining that they can be played, given voice, imagined
> to be little seductive con-men, little Bernie Madoffs or whoever). , and
> other Morenian ideas along with the contributions of others--- all part of
> the aforementioned idea of "psychological literacy" or promoting the
> continued integration of the insights of psychology in life.
>            (In a larger sense, I think sociatry refers in large part to
> this cultural trend towards bringing psychology into the mainstream of
> culture rather than its having operated at the periphery as a
> semi-irrelevant procedure for folks at the margins of society)
>
>   6. Writing, publishing, presenting at other conferences, and talking
> about how psychodramatic and sociometric methods might have applications
> beyond its own field... I think these are small but not meaningless efforts.
> A measure of humility is okay.
>
>    7. Continuing efforts (and modeling) in integrating good ideas from
> other fields will also help to break down perceptions of psychodrama as
> somewhat insular.
>
>    Those are a few things perhaps that can advance the idea of our field's
> relevance to social activism.
>             The targets include not only global warming (as Ed noted), but
> thousands of other worthy causes.
>
>         Some of these, interestingly, are complex: The question regarding
> health care for me, for example, is to what degree I support the present
> kluged-together bill or exert myself for the cause of a single-payer system
> (as supported by the Physicians for a National Health Plan)?  It could be
> argued that in the present climate, a compromise is necessary and that
> single-payer has zero chance. On the other hand, the present bill is so
> fraught with compromises that it will be unsatisfactory in many ways, the
> problem will "heat up" further, and more radical surgery will be frustrated
> because "we already tried socialized medicine"  (when in fact we only put
> our toe in the water, so to speak).   So political decision-making is a
> problem in weighing which tactic to use in the interim.
>
>         Warmly, Adam
>
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>
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