Moreno's role theory questions

[Jenny Wilson]

Hi

I've been enjoying reading more about Karen Horney recently and her
perspective on this. (moving against, moving away, moving against) For
easy reading about this see Karen Crawford's summary from Susan
Cloninger's book. see link below

> http://www.karencrawfordphd.com/Media/EDocs/Personality_Ch_6.doc

Regards
Jenny

Ann E. Hale wrote:
> Some of the most useful expansions of role theory have come from the
> ANZPA trainers and writers of director theses.  I find the role analysis
> organized into "progressive roles" (those furthering your spontaneity
> and creativity in life)  "coping roles"  those roles adapted to overcome
> deficits in the structure/relationships in your life) and "fragmenting
> roles"  (those roles which lead to a decline in functioning and forward
> outlook in life) helps tremendously in processing psychodramas and
> involving clients in their own journaling and self-discovery.
> 
> Underdeveloped, well developed and over developed roles analysis is
> useful in looking at dynamics such as  anxiety/spontaneity/ and rigidity
> in role enactment.
> 
> I like plotting roles on the Canon of Creativity:  Cultural conserve?
> role taking and the status quo in role perception/expectation.  The
> travel around the CC, through the warm-up states and the return?  Role
> playing.  Ther momentum which swings you into the center, the height of
> the creative state? Role creating, making the role your own, defined
> more by you than those outside you.  And yes, we could do so much more.
> Ann Hale
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Adam Blatner" <ablatner at verizon.net>
> To: <grace at graceworks.co.nz>
> Cc: <list at grouptalkweb.org>
> Sent: Sunday, February 21, 2010 7:14 PM
> Subject: Moreno's role theory questions
> 
> 
>> cleaning up old emails...   Hi Grace, remind me of your last name:
>>
>>   1.  you wrote in late December:  I am no expert in the role theory,
>> nor of other
>> theories of personality.  However, I do believe that there is much
>> more that could be
>> added to the written body of knowledge about Role than what was left
>> to us by Moreno
>> himself.  This would seem to be true from the anecdotal information
>> shared with us over
>> the course of this discussion.
>>         AB: Yes indeed, and cut loose from Moreno himself. He was a
>> pioneer that opened
>> the door but his theories and ideas are only the beginning. I would be
>> very interested in
>> drawing you forth on your thoughts about these things!
>>
>>    2. The thing I really appreciate about the practical use of Role
>> Theory is its
>> immediacy and its strength-based focus.
>> ab: Of course I agree, but would like to see a paper, post a paper
>> written by you, as to
>> your wording, your thinking about how this is so. I've said so in my
>> words, but the
>> importance is such that other viewpoints can enrich this nascent
>> theory. (I call it
>> nascent because it flourished briefly in social psychology and then
>> disappeared. Moreno is
>> often overlooked in modern textbooks!
>>
>> 3. G  > I find using a somewhat simplified version of a role analysis
>> (an analysis of the
>> functioning in a role... well developed, over developed, 
>> under-developed, embryonic,
>> conflicted etc, such as you would use in a role training session) is a
>> very useful tool
>> even with folk who have no psychodrama background.   ab: yes, I'd like
>> to see this
>> elaborated with examples. The field very much needs input from others
>> who have been
>> working with it, a variety of contexts, types of situations...
>>
>>  4. G:  It immediately shifts people from a place of seeing ONLY the
>> hole in the doughnut
>> (the thing they did badly- and HOW VERY BADLY THEY DID IT) to a
>> strength-based
>> perspective.  Typically they immediately warm up to recognising that
>> MOST of what they did
>> was good and often only a very small adjustment is required for it all
>> to be useful to
>> them.  Much
>> more hope that way!  It also is very useful to assist them to see that
>> the person with
>> whom they are struggling is also a system of roles and the particular
>> role they struggle
>> with is not ALL of that person; much more hopeful.
>>    AB: well said!   I hope I can encourage you and others. I've posted
>> a number of papers
>> on role theory on my website, many more in my book and the anthology
>> on theory (2007), but
>> we need more. Sue Daniels' chapter is good, but what about your
>> offering a number of
>> examples and either posting them on your own, somebody else's, or I'll
>> post it on my
>> website?
>>
>>   Warmly, Adam
>>
>>
>> Grouptalk mailing list
>> List at grouptalkweb.org
>> http://grouptalkweb.org/mailman/listinfo/list_grouptalkweb.org
>>
> 
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