Foster Collegiality: G2

No Room for Doubters

Any school that seeks to be stable and developing must be consistently faithful to the doctrine because it is the essential shared reality that defines its existence. Doubt weakens the doctrine and undermines the school. So forcefulness is the quality that is added by an adjacent level to create dyads to provide identity control.

For an adherent to become deeply immersed in school responsibilities and personally engaged (G1) with a school of thought, mutual support with other adherents is essential. As a result, all concerned for the health of the school seek to foster collegiality.

Collegiality is fostered by combining adjacent levels as dyads in which the lower level continues to be g1-genuine, while the upper level is g2-forceful.

This is a special sort of collegiality, one in which adherents monitor each other in regard to fidelity to the doctrine. So the dyads can be said to provide Arenas of Fidelity that are forcefully controlled.

It seems possible to classify collegial arenas as follows:

In the lower 2 dyads, collegiality is based on controlling the thinking of beginners, and fidelity is expected scrupulously—introductory indoctrination, and group teaching.
ClosedMore

The doctrinal approach here is oriented to the past and tradition.

During the operation of these two dyads, individuals are commonly rejected or excluded from the school based on their insistence on thinking independently or insufficient grasp or commitment to the fundamentals.

In the middle 2 dyads, collegiality is based on adherent participation in school activities, and fidelity is expected voluntarily—member-only eventsand school governance.
ClosedMore

The doctrinal approach here is oriented to the present and its potential.

During the operation of these two dyads, it becomes apparent which adherents are most influential in sustaining the school and shaping its future given the present conditions.

In the upper 2 dyads, collegiality is based on theoretical preferences and biases, and fidelity is expected to allow innovation—doctrinal factions and societal experiments.
ClosedMore

The doctrinal approach here is oriented to the future and the unknown.

During the operation of these two dyads, it becomes apparent which adherents are profound and imaginative thinkers, striving to develop the doctrine and its school without undermining them.

Psychosocial Pressure

Collegiality is likely driven by a pressure for understanding (which emerges from RL5-Communication) because collegiality requires endless discussions. Understanding is the basis for group formation and at this point in appreciating how schools function we are moving from the responsible individual to the supportive group.

This aligns with the general finding for G2 in structural hierarchies as investigated for Domain Fundamentals and Controls.

Alternatives:Closed Autonomy is assigned and pressures like acceptability and well-being may be important in being part of a group, but seem secondary in the context. Performance and certainty seem irrelevant and selflessness could be counterproductive.

Arenas of Fidelity

G21: Novice Indoctrination

Initiates who wish to enter the school may be expected to participate in an introductory indoctrination. As everyone in the school must be an adherent to the doctrine, the compulsion is typically welcomed and expected.

Such novice indoctrination must be g1-genuine in regard to the indoctrinator's absolute commitment to the L1-fundamentals . Because there is a desire to ensure these are properly understood, the indoctrination must be g2-forceful and oriented to ferreting out and removing any deviant thinking, and this is ensured via L2-personalized mentoring.

If the initiate displays undesirable "independent thinking", this will become evident during the mentoring and the potential adherent will be asked to discontinue participation or get brutally ejected.

G22: Group Teaching

Collegiality is enhanced by engaging with the doctrine as a group. As part of their induction, new adherents are often expected to accept group teaching via lectures, seminars and workshops.

This experience enhances bonding amongst new adherents. Such bonds can become extremely important in the future when there must be an assessment whether a colleague's doctrinal revision represents a deviation from the doctrine or an enhancement

It follows that group teaching needs to be g2-forceful in regard to L3-dissemination of the doctrine. However, the teaching requires to be bolstered by g1-genuinely providing L2-mentoring for individuals within the group to deal effectively with their issues and reasonable queries.

G23: Member-only Events

The school is kept alive by adherents constantly talking about the doctrine in a myriad ways. Such inward-oriented dissemination re-asserts the doctrine and its value. Different adherents describe the same thing with different examples and slight changes of emphasis. Any proposed revisions also need to be disseminated to the wider membership. Other discussions may touch on the history, on the founder, on future plans—all of which are deemed relevant to all members,

To enable this exchange of ideas and views, it is necessary to have regular programs of events. There may be a weekly meeting, a monthly seminar, time-limited topic-based working groups, annual conferences, publications. These events are always member-only.

Member-only events must be g1-genuine in enabling dissemination-G3 of the doctrine amongst member, and g2-forceful in regard to the membership body-G4 expecting support with organisation and regular attendance.

G24: School Governance

Those running the membership organisation primarily look after the mechanics of the school and its members: the finances, the various events, induction of adherents, external liaison etc. The councillors, whether elected, appointed or self-selected, are of varying capability and interest. Politics often plays a part in gaining their role, especially if the school has factionalized.

There is a more significant and profound task which is the shaping of the school as a vehicle for the doctrine going forward. I label this school governance, as distinct from the membership body governance (which belongs in L4). To determine priorities for the doctrine and the school, those individuals who are widely recognized as guardians, including elder statesmen, masters and orthodox leaders, must play the major role.

School governance is therefore an activity to be performed g1-genuinely by theL4-membership association, in the context of a g2-forceful contribution by L5-recognized guardians.

G25: Doctrinal Factions

If a proposed reformulation or doctrinal extension is confirmed and accepted by G24-governance and by repeated airings at G23-events, then it becomes L6-authorized.

Any significant L6-revision is inherently theoretical i.e. it represents a new way to consider agreed facts or principles. So it is controversial. Some will want to ignore it, while others will handle the new ideas pragmatically. However, there can be some for whom the new theory seems so important that it must be protected and further developed. Those adherents sharing that view will likely meet regularly and form a theory-based group i.e. a doctrinal faction.

Doctrinal factions want the L6-revision to be given ongoing value and this means being g2-forceful in regard to its significance, and then g1-genuinely providing for L5-guardianship.

G26: Societal Experiments

When a doctrine is applied to some issue in wider society, it needs to be adapted to those realities and this typically involves some doctrinal revision. However, convinced the pioneering adherent may be, it is usually rather uncertain as to whether society will accept the doctrine-based innovation. So applications always commence as experiments. Resistance to change is usual and that means a degree of forceful control is required.

Societal experiments are g2-forceful in regard to the L7-application and depend on a g1-genuine L6-revision that gets authorized by the wider membership.

Transition

The school emerges as a social entity if adherents handle G1-Self-engagement and display G2-Collegiality. But to thrive and expand, there is a need for adherents to actively contribute to the life of the school.

It is therefore necessary for the school to seek involvement of adherents, which is made possible by adding an additional level to form triads.

Originally posted: 28-Apr-2024.