Group Facilitation on Societal Disruption and Collapse: Insights from Deep Adaptation

Jem Bendell and Katie Carr
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Jem Bendell: Initiative for Leadership and Sustainability (IFLAS), University of Cumbria, Charlotte Mason Building, Rydal Road, Ambleside LA22 9BB, UK
Katie Carr: Deep Adaptation Forum, Create Centre, c/o The Schumacher Institute, Smeaton Road, Bristol BS1 6XN, UK

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: This article synthesises the practice and rationale behind ways of facilitating gatherings on topics of societal disruption and collapse, which is argued to be useful for lessening damaging responses. The authors draw on first-person inquiry as facilitators of gatherings, both online and in person, in the post-sustainability field of ‘Deep Adaptation,’ particularly since 2018. This term describes an agenda and framework for people who believe in the probable, inevitable or unfolding collapse of industrial consumer societies, due to the direct and indirect impacts of human-caused climate change and environmental degradation. Some of the principles of Deep Adaptation facilitation are summarised, such as containment, to enable co-responsibility for a safe enough space for difficult conversations. Another key principle is welcoming radical uncertainty in response to the anxieties that people feel from their anticipation of collapse. A third principle is making space for difficult emotions, which are welcomed as a natural and ongoing response to our predicament. A fourth aspect is a curiosity about processes of othering and separation. This paper provides a review of the theories that a reason for environmental destruction is the process of othering people and nature as being less significant or meaningful. One particular modality called Deep Relating is outlined.

Keywords: facilitation; dialogue; Deep Adaptation; climate change; climate change adaptation; critical theory; authentic relating; Buddhism; collapse; post-sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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