Shifting Biases

"One of the central challenges for groups trying to change a pattern or trend is to find a way to better understand the "causes", "factors" or "structures" underlying that challenge." -- Getting at Root Causes by Mark Cabaj

At Tamaracks 2013 CCI, what I knew intuitively came together logically via Mark's pyramid. The layers defined top to bottom:

EVENTS... What happened.
PATTERNS & TRENDS... What's been happening?
SYSTEMS & STRUCTURES... What are the forces at play contributing to these patterns?
MENTAL MODELS... What about our thinking allows this situation to persist?
BIASES... What are the emotional, experiential, cognitive biases and self-interests that shape our thinking and preferences?

The way we think (mental models) creates the systems and structures that we exist within. A collective of individual mental models form our societal norms, with events being the end product. Obvious, but quietly powerful when one considers the extreme cultural diversity that exists worldwide. As you think, so we are.

The key is that our thinking is driven by our biases. In my opinion, it is very difficult to change biases working from an intellectual position. Biases live in one's heart, not head. In community development, we often work from intellect; logic based processes with participation and solutions founded on reasoning, published in academic formats.

I DESIRE TO... explore social change intentionally from the bottom up, employing ART to generate compassion. It is understood emotionally.