A Message from the Taos Institute President
By Ken Gergen, Taos Institute Co-Founder and President
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As we enter the New Year, we cannot escape the enormity, complexity, and precarity of the global issues at hand. Expressions of hopelessness increasingly enter our conversations. The challenges seem insurmountable, and as individuals we feel helpless to make a difference. At the same time, we must realize that these challenges were created by individuals in relationship. And thus, it is only by our efforts together that we can bring about a more promising future. In this regard I see the work of the Taos Institute is more important than ever before. Our aim is more than simply being individuals together from around the world, to share, support, and inspire each other. The relational constructionist ideas with which we work are specifically aimed at fostering collaborations for global well-being. | |
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It is in this context that I wish to dwell on the accomplishments of the Taos Institute in the preceding year. Where have we succeeded and what now of our directions? At the outset, there was a joyous sharing of mutual support in the celebration of the Taos Institute’s 30th anniversary. Two live events (recorded here) marked the opening and closing of a month-long celebration. Associates put on their creative hats and shared 30 short videos, often showcasing the way in which constructionist ideas had been put to work in their initiatives. Enjoy this special Video Collection! Another banner event was the launching of Taos Institute Japan (TIJ). Sparked by the pioneering efforts of Terumi Sameshima and Tomoko Higashimura, a September inauguration brought together over 100 participants for learning and sharing. TIJ offers extensive learning opportunities to the Japanese public and is eager to expand its reach.
In the Fall of 2022 we launched the Taos Institute Commons. Our aim was to increase opportunities for meaningful dialogue and the offering of diverse events (including topics, times, and languages). It would also be open to all! This year, the venture has been taking off! Almost 1500 members from 70 countries now participate. The Commons has become a portal to Discussion forums, Event listings for offerings both within Taos and by Friends of the Taos Institute, course and workshop centers, and more. Recordings of Taos events are available in the Event Replay library and Groups also formed to connect participants in their own language, now including Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch. Community participants can post their own Announcements for new books, job postings, and calls for proposals, and communicate with each other in various ways. If you are not already a member, we encourage your participation (visit www.taosinstitutecommons.com.)
Prominent among the offerings of the past year, have been Dialogue with the Authors events, featuring authors of new and relevant books. A special session was organized by Loek Schoenmaker following his translation of Ken Gergen’s Relational Imperative in Dutch – and resulted in the creation of a Dutch-speaking group in the Commons! Community members were also invited to host and to join a variety of stimulating Taos Conversations, including Irresistible Climate Conversations, and Community Meet and Greets.
Educational efforts continued with strength, not only with a revised online Introduction to Social Construction course (offered again in March), but advanced offerings in Relational Theory and Practice, and Dialogic and Collaborative Practices (join this February). In collaboration with the Houston-Galveston Institute and partners in 15 nations the International Certificate in Collaborative Practices program continued to flourish. And while no longer offering a PhD track, four students completed their work from the earlier program. Deserving congratulations for their graduation are David Kenkel, Navid Zamani, Meera Dhebar, and Deborah Nathan. The Diploma program remains open for the curious. Congratulations are also in order for those who received funding from the Taos Associates small grants program. These include Bruno Lenzi and Evelize Costa from Brazil, for translation work; Rituu B Nanda from India for the development of a suicide prevention program, Nelly Ndirangu and James Karanja Kamau from Kenya for the design of a dialogic counselor training program, and our Japanese Associates for their launch of Taos Institute Japan. We continue to be grateful for the dedicated work of the Taos Institute Associates’ Council and their invaluable attention to the well-being of the Taos community.
Now looking ahead, the free, downloadable WorldShare Book series continues to offer a wealth of constructionist offerings. Some of these books have recently been translated into Dutch, Spanish, and Japanese. This initiative will receive even more of our attention in the coming year, and we welcome new publication proposals. Deliberations continue on the costs and benefits of face-to-face conferences, and new ideas are invited.
May this New Year restore hope and inspire action, Ken
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"I can see how these practices are deeply transformative and healing."
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February 1-3, 2024
Dialogic & Collaborative Practices
A 3-day workshop with Taos Institute Co-Founders
Harlene Anderson & Sheila McNamee
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Have you ever wondered how to engage with curiosity when faced with different views, beliefs, and ideas? If so, we invite you to join this practical seminar embracing relational, dialogic, and collaborative resources for dealing with difference. Harlene and Sheila introduce and discuss constructionist theory and center specifically on the practical implications and applications of a dialogic and collaborative stance. In addition to demonstrations, there is ample space for everyone to share, interact, collaborate and support one another as you explore ways to bring these practices into your own personal or professional contexts.
Whether you are familiar with social construction and relational practices or new to these ideas, this intensive seminar invites deep transformation in how we approach dialogue. Details and registration available here.
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"This course made me think of possible futures, on how to focus on my language and the power it has in creating new realities and relationships."
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March 27-May 1, 2024
Introduction to Social Construction
A 6-week online course with Taos Institute Board Member Celiane Camargo-Borges
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This course is for students and practitioners who wish to explore how aspects of the world that are taken for granted are socially constructed, thereby opening space for alternative ways to engage in practice and with people. Whether you work in Education, Organizational Design and Leadership, Governance, Healthcare, Therapy, Community Development or you are simply looking for new ways to cope with today's complexity and fast pace of change, you will never see the world the same way.
By joining a Taos educational program, you will experience a constructionist way of being first hand! A small and diverse group comes together to co-create knowledge in an interactive, collaborative, and dialogical way so that each participant may bring social construction into their own work and life and discover the positive impact this paradigm shift has on society at large. Click here for details.
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What's Happening in the Commons | |
Join with almost 1500 members from around the world in the Taos Institute Commons online community as we explore social constructionist, relational, and appreciative theory and practices. We invite you to attend the free events in the Commons to engage in rich dialogue, share valuable resources, watch event replays, and make meaningful connections with others interested in creating more promising futures, one conversation at a time. More details here. | |
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Taos Conversation:
The Shifting Linguistic World of Autism
January 15, 3:00-4:00pm EST
The language of autism continues to change, and with it people’s identities. In this session Gail Simon and Mairi Evans will share their experience, research and practice and invite you to discuss this topic taking into account your cultural, life and work contexts and experience. The Autism and Systemic Practice conference (www.systemicautism.com) that they help organize is an attempt to decolonize autism theory and practice and depathologize autistic people. Details and meeting link available here.
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Community Meet & Greet
A bi-weekly gathering in the Taos Commons
January 24, 5:00-6:00pm EST
Whether you are new to the Taos Institute Commons online community or already a member, we invite you to join this informal gathering to meet other Taos Institute Commons members and share stories of how you are applying (or hoping to apply) social constructionist, relational and appreciative approaches in your work and life. Stop by to say hello, even if you can't stay for the whole time.
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February 5, 10:00-11:00am EST
Suppose you can go back in time and redesign the early years of your learning experience, how might you design it? One of the ingredients in how humans naturally learn is a sense of wonder. Join this highly interactive session to explore the topic of "wonder." Register here.
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January 26, 2024, 10:00am-5:00pm EST
This workshop is for people new(er) to narrative therapy and interested in learning about its collaborative, respectful and socially just ways of understanding people and problems. By refusing to locate problems inside of people, and by always seeing problems in the broader cultural context in which these problems were produced, narrative therapy stands against the individualizing and pathologizing of people’s suffering. Details available here.
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February 5 - May 31, 2024
Develop your capacity to identify and leverage strengths, talents, and possibilities with Appreciative Inquiry (AI). Through this certification program, you learn the foundations of AI and define and design your own AI application with the help of expert coaches. You will learn the tools and techniques that will help you and your organization: Leverage Core Strengths, Engage the Whole System, and Accelerate Positive Growth. Details available here.
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A 9-Month Intensive Online Program
The East Side Institute’s International Class is a 9-month virtual immersion in creative and cultural approaches to human development, learning, and social change. The course introduces and examines social therapeutics, a philosophically informed, practically oriented method in which human beings develop themselves while building the ensemble, group and community. Details available here.
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A way the Taos Institute carries out its mission to create brighter futures through social construction is by creating and disseminating a wide variety of resources for scholars, practitioners, and students interested in dialogic and relational approaches. These free resources span many disciplines and languages. To suggest a resource to share with our global community, email info@taosinstitute.net. | | |
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The new issue was just published with seventeen articles, research reviews, book reviews, an interview and an editorial. It is free to read, download, and share. Also accepting submissions for publication.
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The Taos Institute is a non-profit educational organization. We strive to keep our offerings free or at low cost to make social constructionist, relational, and appreciative ideas available to as many people as possible around the globe. Financial contributions from you are vital to support our activities. Please consider making a donation. | | | | |
