Moreno's sociometry: a wake up call

[Ann Hale]

On June 20, 2009 the U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, reported the U.S. is committed to helping the world's 34 million refugees (my italics) build safe and fulfilling lives, calling their struggle a "humanitarian emergency."  (Associated Press, June 20, 2009, 09:19am EDT) What Clinton is describing is the need for a qualitative and a quantitative response. What is needed are methods with deeply humanitarian belief systems capable of examining and resolving a crisis of this magnitude, and capable of assisting one person at a time find "Where do I fit on this planet? and "Will I be able to practice my religion, support my family, feel safe and connected when I arrive?"  (If you will remember Moreno got his start resettling refugees in Mitterndorf in 1915-1917. It is here he discovered the connection between preference and lessening of conflict.)

At a time when psychodramatists in the US are complaining about decreasing interest, enrollment and membership, etc. the need for our methods is escalating.  For years it has been documented that the sociometry section of the American Board exams has the highest borderline and failing grades.  Students don't seem to know more than how to do "step into the circle if you like pizza"  or "put you hand on someone who appears to be similar to you in some way".  There is a huge methodology awaiting our membership and trainees, and a huge need.  Learning to use sociometric methods is not a comfortable learning. You have to face your personal deficits, your value system, your needs, and what rejection feels like, when receiving it, or giving it.  The payoff is the restoration of hope and the managability of complex, intersecting lives.

No, psychodrama, is disappearing from texts and journals. Whole books such as the popular "Social Intelligence (Goleman) can appear without one reference to Moreno.  It is past time that we examine ourselves for choosing to retreat to the safety of private practice and align ourselves with mental health when we could have been preparing large numbers of students to intervene and strategize and resolve some of the sociodynamics which lead to devestating social and political problems. I am not just pointing fingers. I know myself to be underutilized and not involved to the level of my capability.

Playback Theater has risen to the challenge, and a scattering of psychodramatists are looking at the big picture.  I am grateful for every one of you who takes the method to points of crisis.  If we want our methods to be more available to those who need them we need to make sociometry more available on a global scale.

The Obama administration opened the Office of Public Engagement in February, 2009.  Their Core Priniciples (7) are listed on the website of the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation.  If you want to you can go to www.sociometry.net and get linked to this.  Our current government is open to our methodology.  Let's respond!
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