Fw: A problem with Sociometry?

[Ann Hale]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Ann Hale 
To: Johanna and Hamish 
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 2:53 AM
Subject: Re: A problem with Sociometry?


I like imagining how Moreno would have answered you.  Role theory is an important part of sociometry, as one defines role perception, leading to role expectation and shaping enactment.  If one limits their perception of what it means to be (have roles) in this particular system to just "role taking"  their behavior and choices stay within that proscribed by others. (The external structure)  There is little spontaneity. In fact, Moreno would have described prolonged action from this mode as robotic.  The purpose of robotic choicemaking is to maximize control by "falling into line".  It is the least agile of structures.  In these times of rapid change in businesses and our home life, agility is a high value. And, agility cannot survive in the realm of robotic, blinders on, heartless  self promotion.
That is why "teams" have become so important in the workplace.

In the debate about realism and idealism Moreno wanted a world safe for democracy, where there is a freedom to choose based on being conscious enough of others and the impact of choices on others,  in order "that a truly therapeutic method could encompass all of man(human) kind."    Several months ago we discussed here on grouptalk aristotele, and part of that discussion fell to motivation in choice-making.  It is a huge topic; however, just the sort of split you have described ( choosing to get what I want vs. choosing to get so that we all benefit ) I have begun to call authentic choice-making and opportunistic choice-making.  I am speaking about truth and expedience, and what dynamically is in the "soup" of life.  The soup is both idealistic and realistic.

It is true that one can organize their life and choices to the benefit of oneself solely.  In the very most ancient of times they used to draw maps, measuring the distance from place to place, based on how long it takes the weakest member of the tribe to arrive.  Is this idealistic? I don't think so. I believe it is humane, and offers a view of what we have seemed to have lost in "systems" which have a bottom line of "getting yours".

Moreno described external society and sociometric society, His wrote about the external structure, the hierarchy of a system, and also an underlying sociometric structure, one which was more informal, but quite impactful on the external structure.  This is because people have a spontaneous and creative soul, and even when they have to "sell their soul" to earn a living, they are still capable of knowing their true, authentic self, and what that part of themself truly wants. 

(If you want to see a movie which focuses on the end-game of controlling others perceived choices see the movie Sicko  directed by Michael Moore.  He examines health-care in the US and in other countries.)
Ann Hale



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Johanna and Hamish" <perfect_brown at xtra.co.nz>
To: <list at grouptalkweb.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 10:30 PM
Subject: A problem with Sociometry?


> Greetings group talkers
> 
> I have been contemplating Sociometry and thought I would post some thoughts
> about Sociometry and organisations because I thought your responses and
> reflections would be interesting.
> 
> Warmly
> Hamish Brown
> Psychodramatist 
> 
> 
> A problem with sociometry as an explanatory theory of human dynamics seems
> to appear in attempting to apply it to organisational systems - when I take
> it not just as an explanatory theory but also as a theory to guide my
> actions I find that I am put into a dilemma.  On the one hand I have
> responses to the world that come about as a function of my role repertoire
> which cause me to move towards and away from others at different times - on
> the other hand I am self conscious of the responses others are having to me
> and their moving towards and away from me at different times often due to my
> speaking or actions.  I find that I am able to adjust so that others are
> more inclined to move towards me, also I am able to build relationship with
> a wide range of people so that there is positive tele.  The difficulty
> arises when I notice that while I might be able to cause someone to move
> towards me and doing so is not congruent with my natural response to that
> person in that situation.  I suppose I might call this a 'role conflict' and
> I might do a psychodrama to reconcile this conflict within myself.
> However... 
> 
> Contemplating this has me value the work of Machiavelli the Italian
> philosopher.  The thing is that I want to see the world and relationships as
> more than a series of political games and maneuverings and yet it is obvious
> to me at some points that letting my true feelings show would cause
> fragmentation in the system and result in my not getting what I want. 
> 
> If I am in the role of trainee or employee where there is little or no
> positional power associated with the role and a set of expectations
> regarding how I should best act, then there is quite some burden on me to
> 'fall into line', to do what others want so I can get what I want.  The
> problem I am pointing to is not this in its self (sociometry provides a
> useful way to present this dilemma to all of you) the problem is that this
> is quite a simple (polar) way of seeing the issues contained in this
> situation.  While the description is accurate it does not seem to create a
> rich enough explanation to assist me to resolve my power issues sufficiently
> to experience relationship differently.  
> 
> Due to my tendency to avoid my power issues it leads me away from the
> therapeutic arena of experiencing myself and deepening my reflections on my
> inner experience and developing the capacity to relate to others through
> different criteria and towards my clever rational capacity to act in a
> Machiavellian manner to create what I want - the cost never seems very big
> at the time, but is in fact huge.  I find myself living in a Machiavellian
> world which I cannot escape because my projections and the rational response
> to these perfectly reasonable projections make me aware of how Machiavellian
> every one else is.
> 
> I guess I'm saying that while sociometric explanations sure are helpful to
> those observing the system I am not sure how helpful they are to those
> within it and of cause this separation is a problem in its self (as I don't
> believe it exists).
> 
> 
> 
> Grouptalk mailing list
> List at grouptalkweb.org
> http://grouptalkweb.org/mailman/listinfo/list_grouptalkweb.org
> 
> 
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