Many Implications of Service

Last week I had the privilege to go with a group of students down to South Carolina and participate in Alternative Spring Break. I could not be happier with the experience I had—doing service AND making so many wonderful connections with people I never would have talked to otherwise. This made me think that one important aspect of service is that it brings different kinds of people together. There are so many different facets surrounding service: those receiving, those giving, the umbrella organization one is working with, and everything in between such as feelings, personal interactions, sense of community, etc.  In being involved in community service, I have been a part of building community through service.

During ASB, we did a lot of reflecting as a group. We made meaning of the things we were doing, whether it was exploring our larger impact in the community, talking more deeply about homelessness, or elaborating on how the work had influenced our lives. Often times, reflecting can be difficult, because seeing the disparity frequently leads to feelings of guilt around our own lifestyles. Mostly as a group, we talked about what more we could do to change the current situation of homelessness and poverty. This allowed for us to put aside our feelings of guilt and know that what we were doing was beneficial. In talking this through as a group, we built a whole web of connections with each other. Working together for the same cause, bonding over a specific activity and then reflecting upon experience is such a wonderful way to unite.

In participating in community service projects you can learn a lot about yourself and the group you work with, whether it is the volunteers you’re working alongside or the people you’re serving. Community service is a learning opportunity, and many sources I’ve looked at have assured that fact. “The shadow of poverty, under which many of the students learned significant aspects about themselves and others, also provides the backdrop for my life and struggle as a student and as a scholar” (Rhoads, 1997, p. 207). Service allows us to think more deeply about our personal lives as well as educates us about the lives of others. In delving into service, you learn much more about the type of person you are and the types of people you work well with. For instance, working with the homeless is not for everyone, but they can explore other service realms to find there are other ways to be involved. Community service gives us the opportunity of experiential learning—being out in the field, hands-on, living and learning. “I learn more from volunteer work than I ever do from any of my classes at school. Talking to people from diverse backgrounds provides so much insight that people just can’t imagine” (Rhoads, 1997, p. 209). This type of experience allows us to get to know ourselves in ways we cannot in a strict classroom setting.

In experiencing the wonders of Alternative Spring Break, I learned so much about myself as a leader and as a volunteer. I made connections with beautiful people while working for a greater cause. Community service not only affects the person who is utilizing the service, but it does a whole lot of good for those who serve. In the next upcoming weeks I am hoping to look for personal accounts, both scholarly and on my own, which will give me some more insight into how service affects those who do it.

ASB Columbia, SC 2013

References: Rhoads, R. (1997). Community service and higher learning: Explorations of the caring self.  Albany: State University of New York Press.

Why We Can't Go Back

            In reaction to our current ecological crisis I have come across people who say the only way to get ourselves out of the whole mess is to "go back" technologically.  The line of logic is that man-made technology is the cause of the destruction of the environment and the only solution lies in humanity renouncing the use of our most modern technologies.

            I would argue that this is not the answer.  Not only because it is impractical and won't happen, but also because this answer goes against our nature as evolving beings.

 

"... one is hardly conscious of the extent to which "nature" acts not only as a driving force but as a helper - in other words, how much instinct insists that the higher level of consciousness be attained.  This urge to a higher and more comprehensive consciousness fosters civilization and culture, but must fall short of the goal unless man voluntarily places himself in its serve" - Carl Jung  (Jung, 1996). 

            This "driving force", or "helper" quality of nature, seems to be synonymous with syntropy - the tendency in the universe for things to become more complicated, more whole.  In relation to animals (including the human), it is the general force of evolution.  Beings are always becoming more and more complex while adapting to their environment.

            Carl is saying here that the natural instincts within us are always pushing us toward higher levels of complexity.  He states that "civilization and culture", which must inherently include the technology that has come about because of them, has been a result of this tendency.  However, the key is when he says our syntropic tendency "... must fall short of the goal unless man voluntarily places himself in its serve".  Although our ever-evolving nature has driven us to create all of the technology we have, this nature is still "falling short" as we are not yet fully acknowledging it.  What exactly does this mean?

            I would say, because man is a product of nature, and technology is a product of man, ultimately technology is a product of nature even if that technology is harmful to nature.  Our current technologies, and the modern mind which relates to them, is just as valid a part of humanity's syntropic evolution as any other stage.  However it is time to recognize that the syntropic tendency of our world, of our environment, is calling humanity to evolve to another level. 
 

            Evolution happens when changes in the environment cause the way of being of a species to become obsolete in the context of the newly emerging environment.  The species in question must then develop a new way of functioning which is appropriate within the environmental context.  If the species does not, then it will inevitably die out.  However, if the species evolves and adapts to the environment, it will continue life in a new form. 

            It is clear that currently our environment is being changed by the way humanity is functioning.  But the environment is being changed in a way which will demand change of our way of being.  The wide-spread adoption of a lifestyle which consumes so much has resulted in well-known environmental consequences.  These consequences demonstrate that humanity's current way of being is not appropriate in the context of our environment.  This demands that we change the way we function, or we die out.

            I believe the "instinct" Carl says we must voluntarily place ourselves in service of is the part of our instinct connected to the environment.  Although we have survival instincts to keep ourselves alive, which utilize our ego, I would argue there is a more intuitive instinct within us that connects us with our context - with our environment.  Most modern humans have lost touch with this instinct as it has been so long since we needed it.  But I would imagine this instinct has its roots in the same instincts animals tune into when they predict a major storm and are naturally driven to find safety.  There are also records of modern indigenous peoples who's senses are keenly attuned to the natural world.  Reconnecting with these kinds of instincts could give us an intuitive understanding of our urgent need to evolve.  Recognizing our connection to our environmental context and acknowledging the messages our environment is sending us would force us to begin changing our lifestyle - changing our way of functioning.

          It seems to me that the message syntropy is trying to give us is that over-using our rational, logically-oriented parts of the mind leads to behavior which is insensitive to the overall context, to our environment.  The over-development of these parts of the psyche has led to an enormous technological capacity without nearly enough responsibility to use it.  These functions of the psyche are best used in conjunction with the more intuitive instincts inside ourselves that, in the modern world, we hardly realize need acknowledgement and development.  All in all it is most important that we change our behavior - our way of functioning - so that we save ourselves from environmental catastrophe.  But for a true syntropic step of evolution I believe a change in the way we use our consciousness must also occur.

            As I stated before I do not believe the change in functioning we are being called to would be a renunciation of human technology.  In fact, I would say the development of new technology would play a very major role in our evolution.  There is much promise held in sustainable technology efforts currently being made.  The fact that we have come as far as we have with technology - and with culture at large - shows us that the syntropic forces of our universe made the possibility of developing these inherit in the human being.  This seems to be evidence enough of their validity.  The question is whether or not humanity will recognize it's need to evolve - it's need to use technology and culture in a responsible and appropriate way within the context of the natural world.  And ultimately, whether or not we will develop the intuitive sensitivity needed to fully recognize our responsibility as highly-evolved beings in the natural world.

 

References

 Jung, C.G. (1996).  The practice of psychotherapy. In RFC Hull (Trans.), Collected works of C.   G. Jung (Vol. 16).  Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

 

Community Service & Psychology- Intro

Over the course of this semester, I will be investigating the overarching effects of community service on a person’s psyche. Personally, I do so much community service that it doesn't even seem like that anymore! I just really like to help people, and community service has become such a huge part of my life that the label no longer does it justice. Doing service and helping others has shed such a positive light on my life, so I want to know what it does for other people. There are so many different directions this research can take me, so my plan is to just go with it.

I will be analyzing the scholarly research around the topic, involving research studies, technical testing and other things like that, but there will also be a personal/anecdotal piece. In working in the realm of community service, there are so many people I can converse with to learn what community service has done for them. If I have the time & resources, I would also like to investigate the effects of service on the people being served. This would be people who attend shelters, soup kitchens, etc. In seeing the other side of community service, we can learn that there is a whole range of people who utilize these services. I have come across people who are extremely grateful, but I have also encountered those with a great sense of pride, not wanting to accept help. I think the dichotomy of the two sides is important in people’s experiences in doing community service.

Really, I just want to know how community service can shape a person. I know for me, doing service has made me a better person. It has made me less judgmental towards those I do not know, and really assume the best of everyone. Everyone has their own experience. Community service has also allowed me to know myself in ways I never knew existed. By helping others, I am able to help myself. So, when others help, are they helping themselves too?

Eco-Psychology Intro Post

The experience of every human being is made up of different "dimensions" of awareness.  Each dimension is a medium by which the human experiences the world.  The dimension of our senses give us input from the physical realm - we look at the colors of a sunset, hear emergency sirens in the distance, feel a cramp when we exercise right after eating.  The dimension of thinking helps interpret, categorize, and symbolize what we are experiencing.  Thinking helps us clarify the meaning of things in relation to ourselves, to our experience.  "If I don't do this paper tonight, it'll be a pain to do tomorrow", "This job pays more, but I would enjoy working for that agency", "We need to figure out a business plan, I propose...".  The emotional dimension tells us what value something has in relation to us.  When we don't care about the outcome of a situation, it is obvious that the outcome doesn't hold much importance for us.  But when we do care, when we are angered at one result and pleased by another, obviously the outcome of this situation held importance.  A proper balance of development and attention to all these dimensions is needed to best understand our experience; they all provide valid, essential information that can help us guide our lives.  I do believe we have more dimensions, but mentioning these will do for now.

 

In our culture there is an emphasis on the value of the thinking dimension.  Our social structure requires us to develop this part of our being both to make enough money to live comfortably and to be respected.  Those of us who by nature spend a lot of time paying attention to this dimension end up over-developing our rational side while ignoring our other sides.  Those who are more right-brain, more emotional and intuitive, doubt the validity of the part of their being they find most natural to live in and express.  They limit how much they develop the part in which the majority of their potential lies.  And those in the middle eventually become more rational as they are encouraged to live more and more in this part of themselves.  In general, the left-brain rational side grows more and more, while the other dimensions of our awareness are ignored and their capabilities atrophy.

 

Now, the right-brain emotional side is the part that connects us to our organism.  The dimension by which we feel helps us get in touch with our emotional and physical sensations.  The better we are able to feel the more of an awareness we have of the physical part of ourselves.  If we balance the time we spend between our rational selves and our emotional selves we can know what our organism needs, and then use our rational parts to help get what it needs.

 

However, because so many people over-develop the rational part and leave the emotional part undeveloped, they have the capability to fulfill their needs but are without a clue of what those needs are!  We know how to make moves in our lives but are not connected to the source that tells us what moves to make.  Our biology intends for us, for our moment-to-moment conscious experience, to be more connected to the physical organism.  But because we spend so much time in the thinking realm we do not take time to pay attention to our physicality.  We do not spend time developing a connection to our bodies.

 

This lack of connection to the physical body causes us to ignore important signs.  We do not realize when our body is telling us we are working too hard, not getting enough sleep, not eating well or exercising enough.  We prioritize fulfilling obligations set by society over caring for our organism.  We skip breakfast but still get coffee to keep up with our work, we spend hours in front of a computer with poor posture and little movement, we ignore signs that we are getting sick.  All of these smaller factors add up to make for poor physical health.  Poor physical health causes stress and poorer emotional health.  And without physical and emotional health we have no kind of foundation for our mental and spiritual health. 

 

I would argue that this lack of connection goes a step further.  Our body and its senses are our closest link with the physical, natural world outside.  We experience the natural world through our body.  Given this, not developing attention to our physical and emotional being severs our connection to the natural world.  This cuts off a vital source of emotional and spiritual rejuvenation.  The human being evolved in nature - nature has been the greater context, the greater medium, in which we came to be what we are.  Humans evolved paying attention to nature - in fact, for the overwhelming majority of the time humans have been on earth they had nothing to pay attention to except nature!  If we are cut off from the part of our being which pays attention to, which appreciates nature, then we cannot make contact with that which has guided our evolution for our entire history.  I believe that this severely stunts our progress in whatever kind of evolution nature is trying to guide us toward next. 

 

In this I find the importance of ecopsychology.  I think if we can figure out how to re-connect our psychology to our biology, and from there consciously better our biology's ability to "tune in" to the natural world, we can find steps to take in our lives that will help us evolve personally and collectively.  I have no doubt nature is trying to give us signals as to how humans need to start living if they are to avoid extinguishing themselves.  It's time to start listening to those signals and to start living in accordance with them.