This presentation is to develop thinking about how social communication in various forms - particuarly news and social media - can contributes to reactive behavior and thus symptoms in society. It will examine how the reporting of certain events, such as a suicide, can produce "copy cat" events and relate that to the barrage of information now available on many events that can stimulate anxiety in individuals and populations. It will address the question of what responsible reporting of news might look like.
At the heart of Bowen theory lie the concepts of differentiation of self and triangles. The concept of differentiation generally remains the most difficult for both students and more experienced people to grasp and apply. Both concepts have broad applicability in emotional fields beyond the family. The concepts of differentiation of self and triangles represent powerful tools in the effort to maximize the functioning of self as well as the family organization.
While one can appreciate the concepts intellectually, the real detail of each emerges when one attempts to apply them in the relationship networks of the family and work systems. Differentiation of self ultimately requires action steps in the context of relationships. Triangles are the building blocks of all relationship systems, and an understanding of them is vital to the action steps entailed in defining a self. Bowen once described the effort as "using the cognitive to control the twitch" that result from our automatic reaction to others.
During this conference day, Dr. Papero will focus on the process of differentiation of self and the importance of observing and then changing our behavior in the triangles in which we live and work, using didactic presentations, videotapes, and discussion.
For further information and a registration form click here
Reviewers had the following to say about the book:
"Psychiatrist Murray Bowen's application of natural systems thinking to human behavior radically advanced our understanding of what undermines cohesion and cooperation in social groups. Fox and Baker so deftly explain and illustrate how systems ideas bring order to the sometimes tense and chaotic relationships in a workplace that it is a must-read for employees and employers alike"
"Baker and Fox connect long-held theories that have been central to the treatment of family systems and effectively connect those theories to larger organizational contexts. The authors have made the leap with a practical touch in mind so that managers and leaders at all levels might benefit from their words of wisdom."
This Book presents clear applications of Murray Bowen's concept of the emotional triangle in the family, in organizations, and society. There are contributions from board members of the New England Seminar on Bowen Theory: Peter Titelman, Lauarie Lassiter, and Ann Nicholson.