sociatry ideas

Mon Aug 10 13:11:53 CDT 2009

Sociatry in the end is quite simple really.  It is rooted in the  
esoteric nature of Moreno's method and it combines that with seeing  
sociometry from a sociatric perspective.  What that means simply is  
seeing sociometry in the macro-biotic view (largest biological  
view).  That means seeing sociometric structures impacting humankind  
(in all groupings as JL wrote - see below).  The magnitude in my  
experience of Moreno amplifies with sociatry:  it brings the method  
like atomic structures within the body of humanity to address these  
large sociatric structures.  What also is mind-blowing is that he  
left formulas, codes and symbols that hold this whole body of  
wisdom.  It really is a mirror of ancient wisdom as well.  Hector  
Sabelli with me have proposed a workshop to address this in  
Philly.    I will be going to Lisbon - as a guest of these wonderful  
souls - to share this.  My friend Bonnie, a local doctor who is  
stepping to collaborate with the Foundation to teach this - says  
simply to have Chutzpah in sharing it so I am role-learning!

Ed
On Aug 10, 2009, at 1:24 PM, Ivo Banaco wrote:

> 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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