These workshops draw on comprehensive primary and secondary research and a range of published resources. Copied below are links to most of the key resources referenced on this course and recommended for further reading.
The work of Dr. Brene Brown focusses on exploring the concepts of vulnerability, shame, courage, empathy and connection. More recently her work has involved mapping the complexity of and relationships between a vast range of human emotions and experiences. Its significance is in the extensive reach of both research and impact. In particular, Dr. Brown’s work is helping to develop a shared emotional literacy and most specifically to transform our perception of vulnerability; which can be summed up by the quote ‘there is no courage without vulnerability’.
The work of Dr. Kristin Neff focusses specifically on the concept of self-compassion and includes popularising practices designed to consciously cultivate self-compassion. Kristin has also led the development of an objective scale to measure self-compassion, developed resources focussing on cultivating both ‘tender’ and ‘fierce’ self-compassion and in doing so, defined ‘healthy’ self-compassion as comprising a balance of both aspects. Dr. Neff’s work has emerged from related ‘Mindfulness’ practices and defines compassion as necessarily including the quality of mindfulness.
As compassion requires mindfulness in order to function, this course draws on mindfulness practices and also very recent research into the emerging field of ‘social mindfulness’ – most specifically the work of Dr. Meg-John Barker and their development of an approach combining mindfulness with critical theory, exploring the socially, culturally, inter-relational and ‘intrapsychically’ (self-talk) constructed elements of suffering and oppressive practice and how they interconnect and reinforce each other.
All this work aligns with and complements the work of Frederik Laloux in creating the conditions necessary for people to ‘show up fully’; for organisations to cultivate self-managing (or ‘teal’) cultures characterised by wholeness, integrity, creativity and innovation. This work is rooted in the understanding of interconnectedness found in all wisdom traditions, and like Social Mindfulness, draws on key evolutionary concepts from ‘Integral theory’ (Ken Wilber).
In many ways, this course draws most significantly on the work of Dr. Joan Halifax, who, in her book ‘Standing at the Edge’, draws on extensive research and lived experience to distill the five ‘edge states’ – five psychological territories of altruism, empathy, integrity, respect, and engagement – that epitomise the strength of character required to take part effectively in transforming society. Dr. Halifax shows how the practice and cultivation of compassion is essential in order to sustain ourselves ‘at the edge’, avoid ‘falling over the edge’ into harming ourselves and others and to learn, grow and recover effectively from those times when we lose our balance – to grow into wholeness.
Research
Brene Brown: https://brenebrown.com/the-research/
Kristin Neff: https://self-compassion.org/the-research/
Caring for others without losing yourself: An adaptation of the Mindful Self‐Compassion Program for Healthcare Communities
https://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Neff.Knox_.2020.pdf
Joan Halifax:
Research profile https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joan-Halifax
Effects of compassion training…https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351364119_Effects_of_Compassion_Training_on_Brain_Responses_to_Suffering_other
Leadership, morality and ethics – developing a practical model https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326135940_Leadership_morality_and_ethics_Developing_a_practical_model_for_moral_decision-making
A heuristic model of enactive compassion https://www.researchgate.net/publication/223982297_A_heuristic_model_of_enactive_compassion
Social Mindfulness:
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/transformation/social-mindfulness-force-change/
https://mindfulnessandsocialchange.org
Frederic Laloux, ‘Teal Organisations’ & Integral Theory:
The future of management is Teal https://www.strategy-business.com/article/00344
Teal organisations, Literature review and future research directions https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338933248_Teal_Organizations_Literature_Review_and_Future_Research_Directions
AN OVERVIEW OF INTEGRAL THEORY An All-Inclusive Framework for the 21st Century http://www.integralsocialwork.com/wp-content/uploads/integraltheory_3-2-20091.pdf
‘Closing the gap’ Closing the gap: reinventing organizations for innovation and the disruptors who drive it
https://e-publishing.cern.ch/index.php/CIJ/article/view/920
How to best influence your team’s culture
https://enliveningedge.org/views/how-best-influence-teams-culture/