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An OPUS Social Dynamics Report
Global Dynamics at the Dawn of 2009
PUBLISHED BY OPUS —
An Organization for Promoting Understanding of Society
CONTENTS
- Summary
- OPUS International Listening Post Report —
Global Dynamics at the Dawn of 2009
- Background to OPUS and Report
This Report provides a warning of potentially extreme dangers as a result of the current social dynamics of societies throughout the world. This is part of a lengthy process that has been building for several years and as such is a deep seated and not easily relieved problem. In such circumstances, members of both the far left and the far right can easily influence members of societies and the young are likely to respond to societal projections by taking a lead in any violent rebellion. The importance of this Report is to ensure that the required understanding lies in an awareness of unwitting collusion whereby the Media, senior police officers, senior church leaders, and political figures, who through their actions and public statements, may confirm and increase the fears and encourage the displacement of violent rebellion, by expressing concerns about immigrants and others; even if they limit themselves to warning of dangers. The near certain reaction is that the response is likely to be vastly disproportionate to the immediate concern.
These are extremely dangerous times and great care is required to avoid or to defuse any potential situation that may act as a trigger for the expression of violent rebellion. It needs to be appreciated that acts of violence will carry with them the full weight of a society that is desperate, angry, and unable to contain its primitive evil impulses. At the same time, citizens will be seeking to displace these unbearable feelings onto any convenient receptacle, especially those they can identify with the perceived persecutory State. These may include police, immigrants, an industrial dispute, a police arrest, a sensational or brutal crime, a perceived attack on religious belief, Jews, Muslims and those others who are frequently stereotyped.
An effect of Globalisation has been to destroy the major elements of culture in societies throughout the world. Members of societies have the experience that their traditional way of doing things that resulted in social cohesion (morality, values, religion, language and institutions), are now so diverse and meaningless that there is no sense of connectedness, no sense of belonging, or of community or society. This leads to an experience of disintegration, a fearful dread, and a fight for survival. The 2008 analysis showed that violence was never far from the surface. This year the experience is that violent feelings are being acted upon and the fear of further violence is a frightening prospect.
Since last year, things have evolved and members of societies are now mainly concerned with survival. In most instances, because of the collapse of society and culture and the loss of societal and individual identity, this means individual survival. The experience seems to be that of individuals giving up on the political, religious and social leaders and institutions that previously met their dependency needs and turning their own persecutory anxieties onto the State. Thus the essential difference between this year and last year is that members of society now experience themselves as victims of cruel, uncaring and persecutory States and that they are victims of psychological and structural violence imposed on them by the State.
OPUS LONDON UK — February 2009
2. OPUS International Listening Post Project Report —
...‘Global Dynamics at the Dawn of 2009’
On or about 7th January 2009, under the guidance and coordination of OPUS, Listening Posts aimed at providing a snapshot of the societal dynamics of each country at the dawn of 2009, were held in twenty six different countries around the world (Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy (two Reports), Peru, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, South Africa (two Reports), Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA & UK). These reports were researched and analyzed by OPUS personnel to produce this Global Report. (For further information about OPUS and OPUS Listening Posts see (3) below; and, please note that extracts from National Reports are not included in this version of the Report).
Introduction
As in previous years an overall analysis shows that members of societies throughout the world are still experiencing this period in history as one of unprecedented and revolutionary social change that is increasing in intensity. This includes technological change but also includes ideas: political, philosophical and religious ideas. There is continuing evidence that the experience of members of societies throughout the world is that this period is one of formative changes in the structure of the world economy, the shape of societies, and the framework of world governance. It is leading to the development of a new way of life and a new culture.
When we analyse the affect of Globalisation at this time we can see that something profound is happening and that the dynamic processes are of such intensity and frequency that the consistency, continuity and confirmation normally part of our societal culture is fragmented and non-existent. Life as we knew it no longer exists we are living in a period of history that is experiencing ‘death of a way of life’. This is a world that makes little sense to members of societies and one which is experienced as being out of control. Members of societies experience fear, rage, impotence, vulnerability and despair; they experience a lack of containment, social disintegration, uncertainty and insecurity; and this even extends to fears for personal safety and annihilation, and threats to and loss of identity.
This year, it would appear that the death of the old and development of a new way of life has reached a sort of 'breaking point' a critical point in the above process where it is more helpful to see the current situation in the light of past experiences and as part of a continuing process. The main finding of the 2004 International Project was that members of societies were experiencing ‘death of a way of life’. This was not so much in the nature of a sudden death such as a heart attack but a sort of creeping death like a cancer spreading through a body. Save, of course, that this has been a psychological death of 'a way of life'. Since then, there has been a progressive spreading and deepening of this death through various facets of our societies. These include the considerable technological changes brought about mainly by the development of the world wide web, but also through much more important changes that include religious and moral, social which includes immigration and the movement of peoples across national boundaries; political; philosophical; and recently, through the financial crisis, an economic death which should also be seen as part of the continuing process.
At the heart of this experience is the destruction or fragmentation over the past decade or more of societal cultures. Never before has the phrase ‘when our world begins to crumble we begin to crumble’ been more meaningful. A result is that cultures are no longer available to provide the consistency, continuity and confirmation so necessary to our individual and group identities and death of a way of life is now regarded as being at the end: an apocalyptic or doomsday experience. The steady build up first reported in 2004 has now reached breaking point. The experience of their external world is that, with the exception of a few basic 'objects' such as the family, the multitude of objects that members of societies have used for their positive and negative projections are no longer available to them. Individuals and institutions that were essential objects for providing containment for members of societies are no longer regarded as being in existence for this purpose. This is a world experienced as being in total collapse, a death of the world as we know it and an experience that provokes apocalyptic and annihilatory feelings. This experience is further developed below in the first Analysis and Hypothesis — ‘Psychological and Structural Violence’.
Running parallel with this experience has been the processes of responses developed by members of societies. The ways that members of societies have responded may be helpfully categorised under two main headings: by dependency and by violent rebellion. Since we first reported in 2004, dependency has been shown in several different ways: Displacing dependency onto political and religious leaders; a flight into an independent approach; regression to primary identities; denial and flight into own private world — resulting in individualistic attitude which dominates our society; the projection of hope and fear into younger generation; a search for the magical; and a phantasy that a Messiah will rescue them. Violent rebellion is also shown in several different ways: displacement of fear and rage projected into identifiable groups such as immigrants, asylum seekers and Muslims, who become the bad object who are then demonized; demonisation of bombers leading to stereotyping and scapegoating of Muslims; projection of rage and hurt into marginalized groups that we then perceive as barbarians; splitting and locating evil and hatred in the powerful (usually USA). A society that is beyond comprehension and is highly disturbing at both a social and psychological level that at times leaves members of society witless.
Over the past six years we have seen the gradual increase from massive dependency towards a greater expression of violent rebellion. The responses to the extreme psychological and structural violence have been: extreme dependency in searching for a Messiah to rescue members of society from their anxieties; near total impotence whereby members of societies shut down and retreat into the self; a focus on the past and fear of the future; a desire for popular rebellion; and acting out of violent rebellion. In 2008 there was a distinct warning that violence was present beneath the surface in societies throughout the world and that there was a danger that this could be acted out. This year that warning becomes more important as violent rebellion has been acted upon in several societies. This experience is further developed below in a second Analysis and Hypothesis — ‘Dependency and Violent Rebellion’.
A further continuing theme that has been omni-present in reports since 2004 has been the relationship of societies towards young people. Members of societies have sought to mobilize youth in every year since 2004 either in the capacity of scapegoats or as saviours. At this time the balance is heavily tilted in the use of young people as saviours coupled with fears for the future. The significance of this activity and a major concern is that young people act on these projections and lead the violent rebellion. There are now several examples in societies across the world where this has been or is the case. This experience is further developed below in a third Analysis and Hypothesis — ‘Fear of the Future: Youth as Saviours’.
Linking to this theme is that of a desperate need to retain some vestige of hope in a doom laden and unbearable world. The experience of members of societies at this time is one of hope related to fear. It seems clear that there is a desperate human need to experience any sort of situation as providing hope. Even to the extent of seeing hope even in the very act of destruction: crisis as ruin — crisis as re-birth. At this time, the exceptional presence of Barack Obama provides a major catalyst for such hope. In some instances this is blind faith, an illusion or a phantasy. And in all cases it is qualified by a massive doubt that hope will not be fulfilled. This experience is further developed below in a fourth, last, Analysis and Hypothesis — ‘Hope and Fear’.
Analysis and Hypothesis 1: Psychological and Structural Violence
Analysis
At this time, the overwhelming experience of members of societies throughout the world is one of being victims of psychological and structural violence imposed on them or resulting from the activities or omissions of those responsible for the management, leadership and administration of political, religious, economic and social institutions. A selection of the experiences from the National Reports shows just how grim the current situation is for members of societies around the world. These experiences include a collapse of the world system, a spinning out of control and doom and foreboding; They feel there is no hope and that there is a loss of meaning; They feel overwhelmed, that their culture is destroyed and that they are helpless, hopeless and impotent; It is chaotic, mad and touching on craziness; There is grief, anger and a fear of primitive uncontrollable evil forces; A loss of identity, loss of religion and chaos; They suffer a lack of leadership, loss of institutional credibility and dependency needs are not met; Society is experienced as inhumane, dehumanized and is seen as a cruel environment; A loss of belonging, a broken system and severe persecutory anxiety; A fear of violence, structural violence and violent riots. After such a long period when they have been in a state where they are unable to determine reality — a state of near permanent disintegration — members of societies experience impotence and persecutory anxieties that the state is cruel; and is imposing psychological and structural violence on them. This is reflected in the following extracts from the National Reports: (not included).
Hypothesis
Having lived for years in a state of increasing uncertainty, unmet dependency, loss of individual and societal identity and culture the current experience of members of societies is that they are now at a sort of breaking point. This is experienced as a point where the old way of life has seemingly come to an end. They have reached a crucial point where the known world is experienced as gone for ever. The experience of their external world is that, with the exception of a few basic 'objects' such as the family, the multitude of objects that members of societies have used for their positive and negative projections are no longer available to them. Individuals and institutions (social, political, and religious), that were essential objects for providing containment for members of societies are no longer regarded as being in existence for this purpose. This leaves members of societies with the option of living in a near continual and painful state of mourning; and yielding to the apathy, cynicism and indifference by a retreat into the self and withdrawal from society; or to violent rebellion. The resulting state of relatedness leads to the phantasy that they are victims of psychological or structural violence imposed on them by 'the State'; 'Society'; 'Government' or simply 'they'. The relatedness of members of society consists of unbearable feelings that result in a phantasy of the State being violent and uncaring for its members. A 'State' that has led them to the point of collapse; as spinning out of control; and to a doomsday scenario whereby, individual survival is the overriding concern.
Analysis and Hypothesis 2: Responses — Dependency and Violent Rebellion
Analysis
Living with the experience of impotence and persecutory anxieties that the state is cruel and imposing psychological and structural violence on them, members of societies respond in various ways. The following is a selection of the responses from the National Reports: Members of societies seek for a Messiah who will deliver them from their extreme anxieties; they retreat into the self and cut themselves off from a society in an act of denial; they seek to displace their anger by blaming and scapegoating others; they are at their limits of what is bearable and experience an incapacity to think; there is pessimism, cynicism and indifference; they are blinkered, unable to act and suffer paralysis; they seek a return to the past as an avoidance and denial of the unbearable present; there is a fear of wars; people shut down and protect themselves; they desire popular rebellion and in some instances act on these desires. Finding their dependency needs unmet, members of societies retreat into the self and withdraw from society. From this position individual survival becomes the principle concern. However, for some, this position may become unbearable and it is then dealt with by a desire for or an acting out of popular violent rebellion. This is reflected in the following extracts from the National Reports: (not included for brevity).
Hypothesis
Because of experiences of disintegration, impotence and persecutory anxiety that leads to isolationism and withdrawal from society; dependency in the form of massive denial of reality; and unmet dependency that increases the persecutory anxieties; members of societies experience themselves as victims of psychological and structural State violence. They either react by a retreat into the self and individual survival; or react with thoughts of violent rebellion that are at times enacted. The trigger for these violent activities is varied but not really significant. It may involve a shooting by police, immigrants seemingly taking local jobs, or whatever but this is simply a displacement. The true locus for these activities lies in a deep-seated and long standing experience that members of societies find unbearable. However, it is difficult to be angry and focus aggressive violence on an unbearable experience that is complex and multi-causal. This is when real time events can initiate forms of relatedness whereby the killing by police of a young man is phantasised as part of the cruel attack on members of society by the State; or when it is phantasised that immigrants are a part of the cruel attack on members of society by the State. When members of societies adopt such relatedness police, immigrants and others can act as ready vehicles for displacement.
Analysis and Hypothesis 3: Concerns for Future and Young as Saviours
Analysis
Given the current societal dynamics, it is hardly surprising that members of societies should experience concerns for the future. And, given the extreme nature of the anxieties felt at this time, it is hardly surprising that members of societies should seek some sort of saviour. This has been part of the trend over the past six years and a further trend has concerned members of societies having sought to mobilize youth, either in the capacity of scapegoats, or as saviours. At this time the balance is heavily tilted in the use of young people as saviours coupled with fears for the future. At both conscious and unconscious levels the young are identified with the future and not seen as part of the old way of life that is now ended. The older generations faced with an ability to make sense of their environment project their hopes and concerns onto the young generation who they anticipate will save them from this unbearable situation. This is reflected in the following extracts from the National Reports: (not included for brevity).
Hypothesis
There is an increased awareness by members of societies that they can no longer predict what will happen in the future. Previous generations were able to make provision for their children's development and growth and for their own care and treatment into old age. However, the current experience is one of extreme uncertainty of not knowing, whereby concerns for the future and for their children's future, at both a conscious and unconscious level, are an outcome of the situation. At times the concern takes the shape of criticism of young people who are not doing enough to prepare themselves, for the tough times ahead. And, perhaps, not doing enough to ensure their parents well being. There is also a more general unconscious notion that young people will be the saviours of the world. A major concern is that young people act on these projections and lead the violent rebellion. There are now several examples in societies across the world where this has been or is the case.
Analysis and Hypothesis 4: Hope and Fear
Analysis
Linking to the previous theme is a desperate need to retain some vestige of hope in a doom laden and unbearable world. It seems clear that there is a basic human need to experience any sort of situation as providing hope. This extends to the notion of seeing hope even in the very act of destruction: crisis as ruin — crisis as rebirth. At this time, the exceptional presence of Barack Obama provides a major catalyst for such hope. In some instances this is blind faith, an illusion or a phantasy. It is idealization to a massive degree; as if Obama is a sort of Superman who will soar through the skies and save the world from this madness. However, at another level, and in all cases, hope is qualified by a massive doubt that it will not be fulfilled. The experience of members of societies at this time is one of hope related to fear. This is reflected in the following extracts from the National Reports: (not included for brevity).
Hypothesis
The dynamics described in 1 & 2 above result in members of society living for large parts of their life in a paranoid schizoid position whereby things are seen in simple black and white terms. They deal with their experiences by splitting, seeing the cruel, uncaring and persecutory 'State' as a wholly bad object. Constantly experiencing this position leads to a desperate search for good objects that are experienced as 'hope'. The main object that members of societies across the world have identified is Barack Obama who is seen as not just a wholly good object, but is idealized as a Messiah who will be the sole saviour of everything. At one level this brings hope to members of societies at a time when they experience only doom and gloom. However, at another level, members of societies realize the phantasy nature of this hope and express their fears that this blind faith may prove to be unfounded and that fears for the future are not to be ignored.
Concluding Remarks
An effect of Globalisation has been to destroy all major elements of culture in societies throughout the world. Members of societies have the experience that their traditional way of doing things that resulted in social cohesion (morality, values, religion, language and institutions), are now so diverse and meaningless that there is no sense of connectedness, no sense of belonging, or of community or society. There is no culture to provide them with the sought for continuity, consistency and confirmation. A result is that the attachment needs of members of societies are not being met. This leads to an experience of disintegration, a fearful dread, and a fight for survival. Last year, the analysis showed that violence was never far from the surface. This year the experience is that violent feelings are being acted upon and the fear of further violence is a frightening prospect.
Since last year, things have moved on and members of societies are now mainly concerned with survival. In most instances, because of the collapse of society and culture and the loss of societal and individual identity, this means individual survival. The experience seems to be that of individuals giving up on the political, religious and social leaders and institutions that previously met their dependency needs and turning their own persecutory anxieties onto the State. Thus the essential difference between this year and last year is that members of society now experience themselves as victims of cruel, uncaring and persecutory States and that they are victims of psychological and structural violence imposed on them by the State.
These are extremely dangerous times and great care is required to avoid or to defuse any potential situation that may act as a trigger for the expression of violent rebellion. It needs to be appreciated that acts of violence will carry with them the full weight of a society that is desperate, angry, on the edge of craziness, and unable to contain their primitive evil impulses. At the same time, they will be seeking to displace these unbearable feelings onto any convenient receptacle, especially those they can identify with the perceived persecutory State. These may include police, immigrants, Jews, Muslims and those others who are frequently stereotyped.
3. Background to OPUS and Report
OPUS — An Organisation for Promoting Understanding of Society was founded in 1975 and is a registered educational charity and company limited by guarantee. Its name reflects its aim which, in the widest sense, is to encourage the study of conscious and unconscious processes in society and institutions within it. OPUS undertakes research, organises conferences, promotes study groups called Listening Posts, publishes the International Journal ‘Organisational and Social Dynamics’ and other papers and reports, and provides consultancy for client organisations.
OPUS has its roots in the industrial conflicts that were occurring in Britain in 1975 when the founders were of the view that a deeper understanding of the dynamics that were occurring in and between the various individuals and groups would prove to be of benefit to all concerned. This gave rise to the notion that OPUS should exist ‘to encourage the reflective citizen’. This work has continued mainly in the UK over the years until 2004 when we launched the OPUS International Listening Post Project that currently involves up to thirty three different countries and has now produced six Global Reports. This Project is unique. OPUS now has six years worth of material which is not available from any other source.
Essentially, Listening Posts are based on the notion that a relatively small group of people meeting together to study the behaviour of a society as a society allows the unconscious expression of some characteristics of the wider social system. It is a social psychological process that enables participants, as individual citizens, to reflect on their own relatedness to society and to try to develop an understanding of what is happening in society at a given moment. Starting from the social or external experience, the Listening Post process seeks to encourage participants to share their preoccupations and experiences of society in a totally free flowing, unprompted and non-judgmental environment. Importantly, the Listening Post process then moves to the psychological or internal experience of the participants by exploring the part that internal interpretation plays in formulating participants meaning making of society.
Plans are being prepared for the introduction of regular OPUS Social Dynamics Reports which will be made available to a wide readership. We feel however that this latest Listening Post Report is so important it should be released now.
More Information
For further information or explanations about the Report please contact the Director OPUS at director@opus.org.uk
Presentation and Seminars
Should you require a personal presentation or seminar to discuss the subject matter in depth please contact the Director OPUS at director@opus.org.uk
Sponsorship
OPUS plans to expand its Listening Post activities into othercountries, especially poorer countries where there is no sufficient structure available to undertake the necessary organisation and administration. Being an educational charity and a not for profit organisation, we have until this time relied upon self-funding through membership fees, consultancy fees, and receipts from our public events. This is not sufficient to enable our expansion of Listening Posts. Organisations, institutions or government departments interested in sponsoring OPUS on an annual or other basis should contact director@opus.org.uk
OPUS LONDON UK — February 2009