I resonate strongly with Tuck's perspective on not defining people by their deficiencies. I am a firm believer that adhering to Rogerian approaches of avoiding victim blaming, practicing compassion, and emphasizing strengths and competencies is essential for fostering a supportive and empowering environment for individuals and communities. In disadvantaged communities, oftentimes, money goes to enlisting professional help instead of empowering members of the community, which further validates the community members' sense that they are useless and deficient without external help.
This TED talk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5xR4QB1ADw) on community development exemplifies the importance of recognizing and nurturing individual strengths in the community. In this talk, Russell shares the story of Robin, an older adult experiencing the challenges of grief; Robin was engaged by a community builder who sought to understand his passions and what brought him joy. Through this conversation, it was revealed that Robin had a deep love for making walking sticks from fallen tree branches. Instead of treating Robin as a passive recipient of services or aid, the community builder empowered him to pursue his passion and share his skills with others in the community. Robin went on to lead a group comprising individuals of all age groups who learned how to make walking sticks alongside him. This initiative not only allowed Robin to channel his creativity and skills but also fostered connections and a sense of purpose within the community.
The moral of Robin's story lies in the transformative potential of recognizing and valuing individual strengths and passions. By shifting the focus from deficits to assets, communities can empower individuals like Robin to contribute meaningfully, build connections, and create a more inclusive and vibrant community. The story underscores the importance of fostering a culture of respect, empowerment, and collaboration, where every individual's unique gifts and talents are acknowledged and leveraged for the collective benefit of the community.
This approach also reminds me of the tenets of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in Self-Determination Theory (SDT; see Ryan & Deci, 2000). By empowering community members, researchers can increase members' sense of competence in effecting positive change within their communities. It also increases their sense of autonomy and their belief that they can create change without needing help. Increases in a sense of autonomy and competency help eliminate members' beliefs that they are deficient. In empowering and building up communities from the inside, it also strengthens their sense of community and connectedness with one another.
Overall, I love Tuck's work. It's fascinating to see the overlap between different disciplines of scholarly works. Please keep sharing more about what you're learning in your program :)
Thank you for sharing Chris!!!! Wow, your first paragraph really resonated with me. Not to say professional help is not important (which I didn't get that sense from your paragraph) but you're so right in that it can be paternalistic and patronizing, especially with this professional help is some outsider who may not have had the same lived experiences as the community.
THANK YOU for sending that ted talk. In your explanation of it, I thought a lot about your contrast of "passive recipient" to how it's instead so important to remember the strengths everyone has and the empowerment in respecting one's agency. I'll also look more into self-determination theory. Overall, topics of sovereignty and self-determination are topics I would love to chat more on! And with that, cultural safety and humility... Cheers!! x
Cheers, Jasmine!!! Sorry for being MIA; I just had a chance to read your message now and I appreciate the kind sentiments. I'm still down to meet on Zoom sometime! Just drowning in research and coursework as I finish up my bachelor's.
I resonate strongly with Tuck's perspective on not defining people by their deficiencies. I am a firm believer that adhering to Rogerian approaches of avoiding victim blaming, practicing compassion, and emphasizing strengths and competencies is essential for fostering a supportive and empowering environment for individuals and communities. In disadvantaged communities, oftentimes, money goes to enlisting professional help instead of empowering members of the community, which further validates the community members' sense that they are useless and deficient without external help.
This TED talk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5xR4QB1ADw) on community development exemplifies the importance of recognizing and nurturing individual strengths in the community. In this talk, Russell shares the story of Robin, an older adult experiencing the challenges of grief; Robin was engaged by a community builder who sought to understand his passions and what brought him joy. Through this conversation, it was revealed that Robin had a deep love for making walking sticks from fallen tree branches. Instead of treating Robin as a passive recipient of services or aid, the community builder empowered him to pursue his passion and share his skills with others in the community. Robin went on to lead a group comprising individuals of all age groups who learned how to make walking sticks alongside him. This initiative not only allowed Robin to channel his creativity and skills but also fostered connections and a sense of purpose within the community.
The moral of Robin's story lies in the transformative potential of recognizing and valuing individual strengths and passions. By shifting the focus from deficits to assets, communities can empower individuals like Robin to contribute meaningfully, build connections, and create a more inclusive and vibrant community. The story underscores the importance of fostering a culture of respect, empowerment, and collaboration, where every individual's unique gifts and talents are acknowledged and leveraged for the collective benefit of the community.
This approach also reminds me of the tenets of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in Self-Determination Theory (SDT; see Ryan & Deci, 2000). By empowering community members, researchers can increase members' sense of competence in effecting positive change within their communities. It also increases their sense of autonomy and their belief that they can create change without needing help. Increases in a sense of autonomy and competency help eliminate members' beliefs that they are deficient. In empowering and building up communities from the inside, it also strengthens their sense of community and connectedness with one another.
Overall, I love Tuck's work. It's fascinating to see the overlap between different disciplines of scholarly works. Please keep sharing more about what you're learning in your program :)
Thank you for sharing Chris!!!! Wow, your first paragraph really resonated with me. Not to say professional help is not important (which I didn't get that sense from your paragraph) but you're so right in that it can be paternalistic and patronizing, especially with this professional help is some outsider who may not have had the same lived experiences as the community.
THANK YOU for sending that ted talk. In your explanation of it, I thought a lot about your contrast of "passive recipient" to how it's instead so important to remember the strengths everyone has and the empowerment in respecting one's agency. I'll also look more into self-determination theory. Overall, topics of sovereignty and self-determination are topics I would love to chat more on! And with that, cultural safety and humility... Cheers!! x
Cheers, Jasmine!!! Sorry for being MIA; I just had a chance to read your message now and I appreciate the kind sentiments. I'm still down to meet on Zoom sometime! Just drowning in research and coursework as I finish up my bachelor's.
No problem! Literally met me know anytime that works for you. I would be the most available mid March-mid April :) Best of luck with your work!!